LUH Newsletter

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I. NEWS

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kaiser Friedrich Research Prize 2020 granted to Bernhard Roth and his team

PhoenixD member Prof. Bernhard Roth and his colleague Dr. Ann-Kathrin Kniggendorf have received the award for their research on detecting microplastics in water using optical technologies. The prize, which is endowed with 15,000 euros, is awarded every two years by the Goslar-based Stöbich Group to German scientists from research or industry on a special focus topic in the field of optical technologies. This year, the prize was awarded for pioneering new developments for environmental and climate protection. In addition to scientific excellence, the submitted work should also demonstrate the possibility of practical, industrial implementation. The award ceremony took place at the 4th OptecNet Annual Conference at Expowal in Hannover due to the pandemic.

In its research, the team addresses a major social challenge: detecting plastic waste in the environment. "Our team's newly developed method makes it possible to monitor microplastics in the drinking water stream in real-time and without filters or sampling," says Roth. He says this is a real innovation in the field, as such examinations can currently only be carried out using expensive analytical methods in the laboratory. If the analyses of the probes are not conducted under controlled laboratory conditions, subsequent contamination with microplastics from the air is unavoidable. This, in turn, can be a significant source of error, especially in examining drinking water. In addition, monitoring the flow of drinking water, which would be necessary to detect contamination of drinking water with microplastics in real-time, is currently not possible, says Roth.

The award-winning system “OPTIMUS”, on the other hand, is mobile and uses laser light to examine samples. In addition, the new system allows water contamination to be accurately determined with a response time of milliseconds, enabling users to react quickly to contamination and, for example, stop the supply of drinking water for general supply or beverage production.

Read the full press release here. An online presentation of the research project OPTIMUS can be found here.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hannover presented OPTICUM at Expo Real 2021 and his real estate report

The Regional Capital Hannover presented his real estate projects on the fair Expo Real in Munich from 11th to 13th October 2021. In addition, Hannover shared a stand with the cities for Braunschweig and Wolfenbüttel. The city also showed our OPTICUM in a digital slideshow running the whole day (small picture). The OPTICUM was also mentioned in a press information released on the first day of the fair. The Expo Real is Germany's most influential real estate fair: In the first fair held after the lockdown, 1.198 exhibitors from 29 countries met with 19.200 participants from 52 countries.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IAC-member Luc Bergé gives Berlin Magnus House the status of an EPS Historic Site

The European Physical Society (EPS) commemorates places in Europe essential for the development and the history of physics with the EPS Historic Sites Award. Last October, the prestigious distinction was granted to the so-called "Magnus-Haus" in Berlin.

The Magnus house is the capital representative office of the DPG (Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft / German Physical Society) and the domicile of its regional association Physikalische Gesellschaft zu Berlin. Situated directly opposite the Pergamon Museum in Berlin-Mitte at Kupfergraben 7, it is closely associated with physics through the work of important scholars: In the 18th century Joseph Louis Lagrange, one of the founders of Analytical Mechanics, lived and worked there. In 1840 Professor Gustav Magnus bought the house and set up his private physics laboratory there, regarded as the oldest physics institute in Germany. In 1845, the Physical Society emerged from the circle of participants in the Physical Colloquium established by Magnus.

Reason enough for the EPS to designate the building as a European site for the history of science in physics. In a ceremonial act on Friday, 15 October 2021, Luc Bergé, EPS's president and member of PhoenixD's International Advisory Committee, unveiled a commemorative plaque together with DPG's president Lutz Schröter. A booklet with all EPS Historic Sites is available here.

Call to action: Nominations for EPS Historic Sites Award are open throughout the year. Submissions will be processed by the EPS Historic Sites Selection Committee three times a year. Do you know a place in our region critical to optical technologies that we could propose for evaluation? Please let us know and send us an email: sonja.smalian@phoenixd.uni-hannover.de
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PhoenixD scientists talk about the power of Light during the "November of Science 2021"

The three PhoenixD members, Dr. Reinhard Caspary, Dr. Marc-André Dittrich and Dr. Alexander Wolf, have presented the research on optical technologies during the November of Science 2021 ("Digitaler November der Wissenschaft", #knowember) in Hannover.

In the PhoenixD Talk on "Light: Material, Tool, Pioneer" they explained to the audience that Light is a material, but also a tool and a powerful enabler for numerous (new) digital applications: Optical technologies (light-based technologies) make our everyday digital life possible in many places, e.g. smartphone cameras, online streaming via optical fibre, laser welding of car bodies and 3D imaging in medicine.

The scientists also discussed why research on optical technologies needs to be interdisciplinary – just like the Cluster of Excellence "PhoenixD: Photonics, Optics, and Engineering – Innovation across Disciplines" is living it each day. They also revealed what laser swords have in common with optical technologies and why young students should take a closer look at this field of research.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PhoenixD member Bernhard Roth and his team fight Skin Cancer with Optical Technologies and AI

PhoenixD member Bernhard Roth and his team are part of the new international project iToBoS - "Intelligent Total Body Scanner for Early Detection of Melanoma". The scientists want to reduce the mortality rate of skin cancer by improving diagnostics from the earliest stage on.

The project partners are working on linking imaging technologies with all relevant individual patient information for the first time. The EU is funding the interdisciplinary project with twelve million euros over the next four years within the Horizon 2020 research and innovation program.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PhoenixD recorded its episode for the new podcast "Exzellent erklärt - Spitzenforschung für alle"

PhoenixD spokesperson Prof. Dr. Uwe Morgner, Postdoc Dr. Oliver Melchert and PhD student Stephanie Willms have recorded an episode for the joint podcast series of the 57 German Clusters of Excellence called "Exzellent erklärt - Spitzenforschung für alle" (Excellently explained - top research for everybody). The three scientists talked with podcast host Larissa Vassilian about the topic of simulation and why it is important in advancing the research of optical technologies. The episode will be available online in July.

The podcast series "Exzellent erklärt - Spitzenforschung für alle"started on 1 September 2021 and has gained more than 5,000 subscribers since then. Every month, listeners can expect insights into the interdisciplinary work of a research Cluster of Excellence (in German).

The podcast is hosted by Podigee and available on many different platforms like Apple Podcast or Spotify. Enjoy.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Janna-Lee Steenblock and Sven Kleinert join PhoenixD Office

Sven Kleinert is the new IT coordinator of the Leibniz School of Optics & Photonics. Starting on February 1, 2022, he supports and plans the data infrastructure for the devices and laboratories in the PhoenixD buildings, especially in the new OPTICUM. Kleinert also deals with the procurement and installation of scientific hardware and software and the handling of the research data within PhoenixD. Since October 2020, he has already positioned PhoenixD within the NFDI4Phys consortium.

The 31 years old physicist worked before as a research assistant at the Institute of Quantum optics in Uwe Morgner's research group. His topics: Generating ultrashort laser pulses. The characterisation of such pulses was also part of his research. He also developed novel methods and algorithms for solving inverse problems of pulse characterisation, for example, with neural networks.

Janna-Lee Steenblock is PhoenixD's Coordinator for Diversity and Internationalisation. Rethinking recruiting processes and working on the visibility of female scientists are some of her tasks. She also supports implementing two new LUH-programmes: the Bachelor "Optical Technologies: Laser and Photonics" and the Master "Quantum Engineering".

The 26 years old obtained a Master's degree in Philosophy-Neuroscience-Cognition from Otto von Guericke University in Magdeburg. Before moving to Hannover, she worked as a research assistant at the Institute of Neurophilosophy at her Alma mater. Currently, she is preparing a programme for this year's "Girl's Day" on April 28.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oliver Burmeister presents Protoys to Lower Saxony's State Secretary Stefan Muhle

Dr. Oliver Burmeister (left) from PhoenixD's project workshop Protoys, has invited Stefan Muhle (right), State Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour, Transport and Digitalisation of Lower Saxony, to the "Hack Days" at Gymnasium Goetheschule in Hannover. Burmeister explained to Muhle how Protoys teaches pupils digital competencies like programming in the project "Make your school". Pupils of the 9th grade worked for three days on their different digital projects, like digital key-boxes.

Make Your School supports two- or three-day "Hack Days" events in schools all over Germany. Students develop ideas and design solutions to improve their school with technical and digital tools during the "Hack Days". In addition, mentors support the students with technological impetus and guidance. Make Your School is a project by Wissenschaft im Dialog. It is supported by the Klaus Tschira Foundation as the nationwide funding body and the Vector Stiftung as the funding body for Baden-Wuerttemberg.

As the head of the "Make your School" projects within Protoys, Burmeister took part in the Kick-off-Meeting for the project "Bildungsoffensive Nachwuchskraft" (Education offensive young talent). The local initiative is brought to life by the association "Digitales Hannover" and is supported by Deutsche Bank, Sparkasse, Arbeitsagentur, and the Hannover City library. In 90-minute workshops in schools, pupils learn more about the Smart City. In follow-up tutorials, the pupils will further develop their ideas about how cities should look in the digital age. In April, they will present their ideas publicly during the Smart City Days. Schools can register for tutorials now! In continuing extracurricular workshops, the young people develop their projects for the Smart City Days. Burmeister will guide the pupils' workshops within the concept of Protoys.

He is also training other teachers in "Make your school" - making, creating and teamwork in the digital era. On Thursday, 09.12.21, he had organised a teacher training session in the Protoys project workshop from 08:30-15:30 h.

Since this school year, the Protoys project workshop has been a regional hub of the "Make Your School" project. Protoys organises two to three-day "Hack Days" at four project schools (Gymnasium Goetheschule, Schillerschule, Kurt Schwitters Gymnasium, IGS Roderbruch) in the Hanover region. The teachers of the four project schools have now prepared for the Hackdays at their schools at Leibniz University Hannover.

The teacher training consisted of two parts. First, the participants learned about the Make-Your-School network and the Protoys project workshop theoretically. Furthermore, they discussed the individual steps for the organisational implementation of "Hack Days" in detail. Then the teachers listened to an introduction of the different ways of public relations work and an outlook on anchoring Making and Hacking at school and cooperation with the network beyond the "Hack Days".

Finally, the teachers were allowed to slip into the students' role in an experimental phase: they re-enacted the idea generation phase and tinkered with small hacks at their workstations.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Members of the Lions Club visit PhoenxiD

Volker Pape, member of PhoenixD's International Advisory Committee, is the president of Hannover's oldest Lions Club, founded in 1955. On 1st of November 2021 he visited with club members and their wives PhoenixD. Uwe Morgner explained to the 26 guests in a lecture, the use of glass fibres and lasers. Afterwards researchers led the group through the labs.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PhoenixD welcomes 12 "FWJ'ler" (Participants of Voluntary Year in Science)

PhoenixD and Laser Zentrum Hannover (LZH) are committed to attracting more young people to the so-called MINT subjects, i.e. mathematics, computer science, natural science and technology. Therefore the cluster and its partner institutions play an active role in the "Freiwilliges Jahr in der Wissenschaft" (FWJ - Voluntary Year in Science). On 12 November 2021, PhoenixD welcomed 12 participants of this programme of PhoenixD and the LZH in the PhoenixD office building. Uwe Morgner and Reinhard Caspary gave an overview of the cluster's research focus. PhoenixD supports six so-called "FWJ'ler" until the end of July 2022. As a result, the high-school graduates get insights into the daily work of research and will choose their study subject more wisely. The programme is coordinated by the Medizinische Hochschule Hannover (MHH).

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Angela Merkel visits Laseroptik in Garbsen

On September 17, 2021, the Garbsen company Laseroptik had the chance to welcome chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel. At first, she was guided through the cleanrooms and around the production facilities for laser mirrors and coatings. As a physicist, she showed a keen interest in coating techniques and optical laser applications. According to the company's press release, Dr. Merkel was impressed by the expertise and the worldwide reputation of Laseroptik's specialized products from ”the middle of nowhere“, which occasionally are even used in space missions.

In addition, Merkel showed special interest in the company's social and environmental activities, such as running a company-owned childcare facility, the possibility of employment beyond retirement age, and the creation of natural habitats for storks and owls, it says in a press release.

An outdoor group photo was taken before the chancellor retreated to a meeting with a select group of employees and CEO Dr. Wolfgang Ebert.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Let's start a Communication Task Force for PhoenixD - volunteers welcome!

Science Communication is a very strong and broad field. To figure out which tools serve our communication needs best and with which media form we feel most comfortable with, Sonja Smalian is looking for volunteers to form a Science Communication Task Force for PhoenixD. Then, in only 1,5 years, PhoenixD will start to write a proposal for further funding. But, of course, it would be great to have developed some catchy narratives about our work by then.

Do we want to start a podcast by ourselves? Easy, remote recording is possible via Riverside.FM. Or do you want to be rather a guest expert in established podcasts?

Or do you feel more like preparing a 16-meter long exhibition in Hannover's central library? (The new director is very, very open to our ideas).

And there are plenty more examples. We can do pretty much anything but not everything. So, which target groups should we try to reach? And where do we find the people we want to think "optical technologies"? - "I'll ask the scientists of PhoenixD!"

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meet our members at SPIE PhotonicsWest

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PhoenixD participated in the DFG Science Photo competition

The German Research Foundation (DFG) had asked PhoenixD to submit science photos for its new competition. Although we sent in a broad and interdisciplinary selection, we weren't selected for the DFG Calender "Digitalization" 2022. Nevertheless, PhoenixD warmly thanks Annalena Eckart (TU Braunschweig), Oliver Melchert, Robin Mevert and Uwe Morgner for their support in providing photos or acting as models. You'll find all the photographs online: DFG - Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft - DFG Kalender 2022: Digitalisierung

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Michèle Heurs discussed the power of quantumcomputing in Lower Saxony in a live debate

On 18 January 2022, the Volkswagen Foundation has invited to the panel discussion "Quantum computers from Lower Saxony: What can supercomputers really do?" at 7 pm in the Xplanatorium Herrenhausen and online. PhoenixD member Michèle Heurs was among the panellists.

In the future, quantum computers could be used to optimise logistics and production processes, for example, and accelerate the development of new medicines. However, there are still many technical challenges to be overcome before this can happen. Leading research institutions, companies and the state of Lower Saxony have joined forces to form the Quantum Valley Lower Saxony (QVLS) alliance.

Their goal: to put Germany's first quantum computer into operation in 2025. Can this succeed? Is the hope associated with quantum computers that they will substantially contribute to optimising everyday processes justified?

The recording of the talk "A QUANTum of Hope - What Can Supercomputers Really Achieve?" is available here: The event takes place in cooperation with the QVLS - Quantum Valley Lower-Saxony. Panel discussion (in German) with Michèle Heurs, Christian Ospelkaus (Institute for Quantum Optics, Leibniz University Hanover), Johannes Buchmann (Darmstadt University of Technology), Michael Decker (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology). Moderation: Peter Welchering, Medienbüro Welchering, Cologne.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spring Symposium of the JungChemikerForum

Open positions offered by PhoenixD members

PhoenixD members are currently looking for some new team members. Please like and share the job ads with your network. Thank you.

Do you have any jobs to offer? Please let me know how I can support you and send me your advertisement in German and English for posting it on the PhoenixD website. Thank you: sonja.smalian@phoenixd.uni-hannover.de

PhoenixD member Tasja Schwenke reported that she received interesting applications after posting her job ad with the German Chemical Society (GDCh - Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker) and the online plattform "Find a PhD". The latter costs 50 GPB, but the investment is worthwhile.

PhoenixD regularly participates in different online career fairs and the LUH and Quantum Alliance, and I would happily promote your job offers there. The next event will be the MIT European Career Fair on 17 February 2022.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Christmas Countdown on PhoenixD’s Twitter and LinkedIn-Accounts

PhoenixD celebrated the festival of lights with a Christmas Countdown on Twitter and LinkedIn. Science Communicaton Officer Sonja Smalian looked back on 2021 and highlighted some ouf our interdisciplinary research papers, carefully selected by our Technology Coordinator Dr. CasparyReinhard.

Call to action: Please follow the PhoenixD accounts on LinkedIn and Twitter and kindly like, comment and share the work of your fellow colleagues. Thank you.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

II. PHOENIXD MEDIA DIGEST

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PhoenixD members in the media

Since its formation, the Cluster of Excellence has been presented in different media outlets worldwide. Look at some examples from the past weeks:

The Kaiser Friedrich Research Prize has been awarded to Bernhard Roth and his team to detect microplastics in water. The local newspaper Goslarsche Zeitung, home to the Stöbich Group who sponsored the award, reported it. A one-page long portrait of Ann-Kathrin Kniggendorf, a member of Bernhard Roth's team, was published in the Allgemeine Hildesheimer Zeitung. Kniggendorf is a native of Hildesheim.

Bernhard Roth's research about an optical scanner to detect skin cancer attracted the attention of the TV station Sat.1 Regional, who broadcasted the report in their local news. In addition, the local newspapers Allgemeine Hannoversche Zeitung and Schaumburger Nachrichten reported about it and the "Physik Journal".

The newsletter of the Leibniz University, "Leibniz leben - uni intern" presented both topics.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

III. FACTS AND FIGURES

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Short News about the new coalitian agreement, funding and the market of photonic products

"New government, new coalition agreement": How does it affect the science sector? Since last autumn, Germany is reigned by a new governement. For science, the coalition agreement of the three parties in power - SPD, the Greens and FDP - envisages, among other things, increasing the budget for research and development to 3.5 percent of the gross domestic product by 2025.

According to the coalition agreement, the parties of the traffic light coalition intend to strengthen universities and universities of applied sciences as the heart and backbone of the research system. "It is a gratifying and important statement! We now hope that it will be followed by action," said Professor Dr Peter-André Alt, President of the German Rectors' Conference (HRK). In research, the importance of basic research, application-oriented research and transfer is emphasised. "The planned German Agency for Transfer and Innovation must be open to all types of universities; it is an indispensable building block in the successful establishment of this institution," says Professor Alt. "In central future areas, German universities are key drivers of research and innovation in fields ranging from quantum technology to issues of social cohesion, democracy and peace."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Money matters. The consulting firm McKinsey & Company investigates the "next wave of innovation in photonics" in a 10-page report. More end products integrate lasers with sensors and optics, opening new opportunities for photonics manufacturers. The authors analyse the market growth of different product groups and how the focus of technology shifts when looking at patents. Read the full report here. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The German Research Foundation DFG has published the “Funding Atlas 2021” last October. The report presents all the key figures on publicly financed research and funding.

A new feature of the current Funding Atlas is the analysis of acquired third-party funding broken down by federal state. According to the report, a total of approximately 9.48 billion Euro in DFG funding was approved between 2017 and 2019. Most of this went to North Rhine-Westphalia with 1.83 billion Euro, followed by Baden-Württemberg with 1.60 billion Euro, Bavaria with 1.46 billion Euro, Berlin (839 million Euro) and Lower Saxony (791 million Euro).

Other questions addressed are: Where in Germany is publicly funded research particularly strong? How much third-party funding goes to which federal states and regions and to which universities and non-university research institutes, who does it come from and how is it used by the recipients? And how significant is such funding as part of the financing of the German higher education and research system as a whole? Read the full report here.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Potential and global outlook of integrated photonics for quantum technologies: Integrated quantum photonics uses classical integrated photonic technologies and devices for quantum applications. As in classical photonics, chip-scale integration has become critical for scaling up and translating laboratory demonstrators to real-life technologies, states an article published in Nature Reviews physics. Integrated quantum photonics efforts are centred around the development of quantum photonic integrated circuits, which can be monolithically, hybrid or heterogeneously integrated.

In this Roadmap, the authors - Emanuele Pelucchi and Giorgos Fagas among others -, argue, through specific examples, for the value that integrated photonics brings to quantum technologies and discuss what applications may become possible in the future by overcoming the current roadblocks.

They provide an overview of the research landscape and discuss the innovation and market potential.

Their aim is to stimulate further research by outlining not only the scientific challenges of materials, devices and components associated with integrated photonics for quantum technologies but also those related to the development of the necessary manufacturing infrastructure and supply chains for delivering these technologies to the market. Read the full article here.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Women shall reach 25% within the Cluster at the end of the first funding period. This quota is the declared goal of PhoenixD. According to the statistics, female members attain 10% within the group of PhD students, 10% within the group of Post-docs and 13% within the group of professors.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IV. SAVE THE DATES

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Save the Date: MIT European Career Fair

Save the Date: Quantum Alliance + IMPRS-QST PhD Conference

Save the date: International Day of Light: May 16th

The International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies 2015 (IYL 2015) was a United Nations observance that raised global awareness of the achievements of light science and its applications and their importance to humankind. Under the leadership of UNESCO, more than 13,000 activities took place in 147 countries to reach an audience estimated at over 100 million.

After the success of the International Year of Light, it was clear that the proclamation of an International Day of Light will provide an enduring follow-up to the International Year of Light in raising the profile of science and technology, stimulating education, and improving the quality of life worldwide.

The International Day of Light will be held on May 16th every year, the anniversary of the first successful operation of the laser in 1960 by physicist and engineer Theodore Maiman. The laser is a perfect example of how a scientific discovery can yield revolutionary benefits to society in communications, healthcare and many other fields. For interest, you can find here some information about laser's history, but note that the International Day of Light is not just about lasers and science. It also includes art, culture, entertainment – everywhere light is present!

Do you plan on sending out press releases around April/May 2022? Then let's mention the context of the International Day of Light.

Any ideas on how PhoenixD could use this day to present our research to a broader public? Let's talk about it.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Save the Date: Humboldt meets Leibniz 2022

Save the Date: PhoenixD Laser Day 2022

The laser scientists at Leibniz University and Laser Center Hannover kindly asks to save the date for the "PhoenixD Laser Day" on June 15, 2022, in Hannover. With this scientific workshop, the interdisciplinary Cluster of Excellence PhoenixD wants to revive the traditional meeting of the Northern German “Laser Tag”.

The PhoenixD Laser Day is the chance for early-career researchers and established scientists from Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry, Computer Sciences, Electrical as well as Mechanical Engineering to convene and connect in person, discussing ideas and presenting their research.

We will have a poster session in the afternoon, and all attendees are encouraged to present their current work with a poster. Chemists have the opportunity, to switch conferences after lunch and posters to attend the parallel Hannover Materials Chemistry Symposium.

Attendees network with researchers in optical technologies from all over Northern Germany and gain inspiring insights into the work focuses of the participating disciplines'. In addition, PhoenixD will inform about its progressed plans to build an “Optics University Center and Campus” (OPTICUM), the new research building in Hannover-Marienwerder.

Please mark your calendars. The participation is free of fees; however, we need your registration. The announcement of the registration page will be made soon. The Cluster of Excellence PhoenixD is looking forward to welcoming you this summer in Hannover.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Save the date: IdeenExpo

PhoenixD presents its work on the Leibniz University's booth at the fair IdeenExpo from 2nd until 10th July 2022 on the fair ground in Hannover. We willl inform the pupils about our our new Bachelor programme Optical Technologies: Laser and Photonics and the Voluntary Scientific Year (FWJ). PhoenixD will offer taking a photo in a black light photobox with flourescent accessoires. PhoenixD spokesperson Uwe Morgner will give a talk.

IdeenExpo GmbH was founded in 2007 with the aim of getting young people excited about technology and the natural sciences and recruiting skilled workers for the STEM fields. The company's task is the planning and implementation of a biennial hands-on and experiential event - the IdeenExpo. Companies, research institutions, universities and schools participate in the event. The IdeenExpo is financed by contributions from the business community and public funding.

The IdeenExpo with its unique concept is constantly developing - with success: Since 2007, the number of visitors, the number of exhibits and workshops as well as the event area have multiplied. In 2019, there were over 395,000 visitors from all over Germany and other European countries. This makes IdeenExpo Europe's largest youth event for technology and science. Read more.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Save the Date: Hannover Materials Chemistry Symposium

The Hannover Materials Chemistry Symposium will be held on 15th of June (Wednesday) 2022. Please mark your calenders. We'll provide more information soon.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Save the Date: Europhoton 2022

In 2022, the 10th EPS-QEOD Europhoton Conference on Solid-state, Fibre and Waveguide Coherent Light Sources will take place in Hannover from 28th August (Sunday) till 2nd September (Friday) 2022 at Herrenhausen Palace. The Cluster of Excellence PhoenixD is the official partner of the European Physical Society (EPS) and Quantum Electronics and Optics Division (QEOD) of the EPS to organize this international conference in collaboration with the VolkswagenStiftung.

General Chair of the meeting is PhoenixD spokesperson Prof. Dr. Uwe Morgner. In addition, our member Prof. Dr. Michael Kues will speak at the two-day Summer School.

The EPS will continuously update the conference homepage. Would you mind forwarding the conference flyer to anyone who might be interested? Abstract submission deadline: Monday, 11th April 2022.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Save the date: PhoenixD Retreat and PRS Summer School 2022

All members of PhoenixD will meet from 14th September (Wednesday) till 16th September (Friday) 2022 again for a PhoenixD Retreat in Schneverdingen. Scientists will inform themselves about their current research results in numerous lectures. In addition, PhD students and Post-docs will also have the opportunity to present their current research projects in a poster session.

Preceding the PXD Retreat, approximately 30 members of the PhoenixD Research School (PRS) will take part in the two-day Summer School (12th September (Monday) till 14th September (Wednesday) 2022. So please, save the date.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PhoenixD hosts annual meeting of VDMA chapters Micro Technologies / Productronic

PhoenixD will host the annual meeting of the Micro Technologies and Productronic chapters of the VDMA on the 28 (Wednesday) and 29 (Thursday) September 2022. In addition to the PhoenixD office, participants will also visit the HITec - Hannover Institute of Technology and the Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V. (LZH). With around 3,300 members, the VDMA declares to be the largest European mechanical engineering industry organisation.

Save the date: Day of Photonics on 21 October 2022

The Day of Photonics is an annual event that promotes “photonics” towards the general public. Companies, research organizations, and organizations involved in photonics reach out to their communities to raise awareness about what is photonics and why it is important, and promote the role of their organization in the photonics ecosystem and value chain.

Photonics is a Key Enabling Technology, together let’s make sure the world understands the significance and relevance of the photonics industry! Activities are organized in more than 30 countries around the world and encompass all kinds of demonstrations on the impact of photonics on our day-to-day life. Photonics technologies include: LED lighting, Photovoltaic solar energy, Photonics Integrated Circuits, Optical components, Lasers, Sensors, Imaging, Displays, Projectors, Optic fiber, and other photonic related technologies which find applications in health, security, agriculture, food, communication, transportation, … The activities are self-organized on a voluntary basis, in all regions of the world.

On 21 October 1983, the General Conference of Weights And Measures adopted the value of 299,792.458 km/s for the speed of light. At the occasion of the anniversary, hundreds of activities are voluntarily organized over more than 30 countries in the world and encompass all kinds of demonstrations and discussions on the impact of photonics on our day-to-day life. Any company, research organization, university, school, student chapter is encouraged to organize an activity and register it publicly.

Call to Action: If you have an exciting event - let us announce it publicly on the official events board of the Day of Photonics.

Do you plan on sending out press releases around September/October 2022? Then let's mention the context of the International Day of Light.

Any ideas on how PhoenixD could use this day to present our research to a broader public? Let's talk about it.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

VI. PUBLICATIONS

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Our Scientific Publications

All of you, our members, publish your research results through numerous channels. An overview of the Cluster's scientific publications can be found online here. The list is updated regularly. The following publications are examples of how broadly the Cluster of Excellence works:

S. Beuchler, S. Kinnewig, P. König, and T. Wick (2021): A residual-based error estimator and mesh adaptivity for the time harmonic Maxwell equations applied to a Y-beam splitter. Proc. Appl. Math. Mech., 21: e202100175. https://doi.org/10.1002/pamm.202100175

In this work, local mesh adaptivity for the time harmonic Maxwell equations is studied. The main purpose is to apply a known a posteriori residual-based error estimator from the literature and to investigate its performance for a Y-beam splitter setting. This configuration is an important prototype for the design of optical systems within the excellence cluster PhoenixD. Specifically, the branching region is of interest and requires a high accuracy of the numerical simulation. One numerical example shows the performance of our approach.

D. Perevoznik, A. Tajalli, D. Zuber, W. Pätzold, A. Demircan and U. Morgner (2021): Writing 3D Waveguides With Femtosecond Pulses in Polymers, Journal of Lightwave Technology, vol. 39, no. 13, pp. 4390-4394, July1, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1109/JLT.2021.3071885

We present novel waveguide writing concepts in bulk PMMA. The writing relies on laser induced modification tracks that are completely surrounding a waveguide core. We found the optimal parameters to construct highly reproducible, single-mode waveguides with minimal propagation losses down to 0.6 dB cm ^-1 . Employing the best geometry, we demonstrate 2D and 3D Y-splitters that are the building blocks for creating complex optical networks such as sensors or lab-on-chip devices in polymer materials.

M. S. Khan, W. M. Saeed, B. Roth, and R. Lachmayer (2021): Diffractive optics based automotive lighting system: A rear end lamp design for communication between road users, Advanced Optical Technologies, vol. 10, no. 1, 2021, pp. 49-57. https://doi.org/10.1515/aot-2020-0055

Information projection using laser-based illumination systems in the automotive area is of keen interest to enhance communication between road users. Numerous work on laser-based front end projection employing refractive and reflective optics has been reported so far, while for rear end illumination efforts are more scarce and a different optical design concept due to limited volumetric size and field of view regulations is required. Here, we report on a new and versatile approach for a laser-based rear end lighting system for automotive application which enables projection of information or signals to support other road users. The design is based on thin diffractive optical elements projecting the desired patterns upon illumination. Also, for protection of the road users from the steering laser beam, a diffusive back projection screen is designed to project information while fulfilling both the field of view and safety requirements. The projection system is based on a periodic diffusive structure made of an array of biconic lenses with sizes in the millimeter range. The field of view (FOV) from the simulated lens arrays complies with the angular requirements set by the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE). As a proof of concept, the diffusive screen is fabricated using microfabrication technology and characterized. In future, the screen will be combined with thin diffractive optical elements to realize an entire integrated projection system.

B. Mortazavi, M. Silani, E. V. Podryabinkin, T. Rabczuk, X. Zhuang, A. V. Shapeev, (2021): First-Principles Multiscale Modeling of Mechanical Properties in Graphene/Borophene Heterostructures Empowered by Machine-Learning Interatomic Potentials Adv. Mater. 2021, 33, 2102807.

Density functional theory calculations are robust tools to explore the mechanical properties of pristine structures at their ground state but become exceedingly expensive for large systems at finite temperatures. Classical molecular dynamics (CMD) simulations offer the possibility to study larger systems at elevated temperatures, but they require accurate interatomic potentials. Herein the authors propose the concept of first-principles multiscale modeling of mechanical properties, where ab initio level of accuracy is hierarchically bridged to explore the mechanical/failure response of macroscopic systems. It is demonstrated that machine-learning interatomic potentials (MLIPs) fitted to ab initio datasets play a pivotal role in achieving this goal. To practically illustrate this novel possibility, the mechanical/failure response of graphene/borophene coplanar heterostructures is examined. It is shown that MLIPs conveniently outperform popular CMD models for graphene and borophene and they can evaluate the mechanical properties of pristine and heterostructure phases at room temperature. Based on the information provided by the MLIP-based CMD, continuum models of heterostructures using the finite element method can be constructed. The study highlights that MLIPs were the missing block for conducting first-principles multiscale modeling, and their employment empowers a straightforward route to bridge ab initio level accuracy and flexibility to explore the mechanical/failure response of nanostructures at continuum scale.

M. Kassubeck, M. Kappel, S. Castillo, and M. Magnor (2021): N-SfC: Robust and Fast Shape Estimation from Caustic Images, arXiv preprint arXiv:2112.06705. https://arxiv.org/abs/2112.06705

This paper deals with the highly challenging problem of reconstructing the shape of a refracting object from a single image of its resulting caustic. Due to the ubiquity of transparent refracting objects in everyday life, reconstruction of their shape entails a multitude of practical applications. The recent Shape from Caustics (SfC) method casts the problem as the inverse of a light propagation simulation for synthesis of the caustic image, that can be solved by a differentiable renderer. However, the inherent complexity of light transport through refracting surfaces currently limits the practicability with respect to reconstruction speed and robustness. To address these issues, we introduce Neural-Shape from Caustics (N-SfC), a learning-based extension that incorporates two components into the reconstruction pipeline: a denoising module, which alleviates the computational cost of the light transport simulation, and an optimization process based on learned gradient descent, which enables better convergence using fewer iterations. Extensive experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of our neural extensions in the scenario of quality control in 3D glass printing, where we significantly outperform the current state-of-the-art in terms of computational speed and final surface error.

A. K. Rüsseler, F. Carstens, Lars Jensen, S. Bengsch, and D. Ristau (2021): Applying sacrificial substrate technology to miniaturized precision optical thin-film coatings, Proc. SPIE 11872, Advances in Optical Thin Films VII, 118720G (12 September 2021); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2597003

Hybrid integrated photonics open up new application perspectives due to compact size and the shift to cost-efficient components. Therefore, integration of optical and electro-optical functionalities into photonic chips has recently attracted great interest. Research has been directed towards miniaturization of demanding spectral transfer properties for individual applications. However, it remains challenging to implement highly complex transmission and reflection characteristics with few additional process steps. In this contribution, we report on our advancement in the field of optical thin-film coating fabrication, which enables a manufacturing process comparable to die assembly in electronics. We have combined a sacrificial-substrate approach with the production of miniaturized optical thin-film coatings by ion-beam sputtering. The concept is applicable to high precision coatings with more than 130 individual layers and adding up to over 26 µm total film thickness. Segmentation down to sizes of 25 μm x 25 μm pieces is realized by laser cutting of the coating. By completely removing the substrate afterwards, we achieve a freestanding thin-film and thus minimized thickness. Our measurements indicate no general performance loss compared to coatings on glass substrates. Additionally, the substrates refractive index and absorption do not have to be considered in the multilayer-coating design. Therefore, the design can be optimized and matched to the refractive index of specific waveguides on the chip. Furthermore, we demonstrate the compatibility to releasable transfer tape. With this, we aim for enabling a high-volume feed of miniaturized thin-film filters to an automated assembly process.

L. F. Klepzig, L. Biesterfeld, M. Romain, A. Niebur, A. Schlosser, J. Hübner, J. Lauth (2022): Colloidal 2D PbSe nanoplatelets with efficient emission reaching the telecom O-, E- and S-band, Nanoscale Advances, RSC, http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/D1NA00704A

Colloidal two-dimensional (2D) lead chalcogenide nanoplatelets (NPLs) represent highly interesting materials for near- and short wave-infrared applications including innovative glass fiber optics exhibiting negligible attenuation. In this work, we demonstrate a direct synthesis route for 2D PbSe NPLs with cubic rock salt crystal structure at low reaction temperatures of 0 °C and room temperature. A lateral size tuning of the PbSe NPLs by controlling the temperature and by adding small amounts of octylamine to the reaction leads to excitonic absorption features in the range of 1.55–1.24 eV (800–1000 nm) and narrow photoluminescence (PL) reaching the telecom O-, E- and S-band (1.38–0.86 eV, 900–1450 nm). The PL quantum yield of the as-synthesized PbSe NPLs is more than doubled by a postsynthetic treatment with CdCl₂ (e.g. from 14.7% to 37.4% for NPLs emitting at 980 nm with a FWHM of 214 meV). An analysis of the slightly asymmetric PL line shape of the PbSe NPLs and their characterization by ultrafast transient absorption and time-resolved PL spectroscopy reveal a surface trap related PL contribution which is successfully reduced by the CdCl₂ treatment from 40% down to 15%. Our results open up new pathways for a direct synthesis and straightforward incorporation of colloidal PbSe NPLs as efficient infrared emitters at technologically relevant telecom wavelengths.

B. Ihar, A. Demircan, M. Kues and U. Morgner (2021): Flying-qubit gates distributive over photonic waveshapes, https://arxiv.org/abs/2105.13814

Photons, acting as "flying qubits" in propagation geometries such as waveguides, appear unavoidably in the form of wavepackets (pulses). The shape of the photonic wavepacket, as well as possible temporal/spectral correlations between the photons, play a critical role in successful scalable computation. Currently, unentangled indistinguishable photons are considered as a suitable resource for scalable photonic circuits. Here we show that using so called coherent photon conversion, it is possible to construct flying-qubit gates, which are not only insensitive to waveshapes of the photons and temporal/spectral correlations between them, but which also fully preserve these waveshapes and correlations upon the processing. This allows to use photons with correlations and purity in a very broad range for a scalable computation. Moreover, such gates can process entangled photonic wavepackets even more effectively than unentangled ones.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear members of PhoenixD,

The United Nations proclaimed 2022 the "International Year of Glass" to celebrate the essential role glass has in society due to its innumerable cultural and scientific advancements:

Glass is the main conduit for information in our knowledge-based society. Glass optical fibers have led to a global communications revolution; they are the backbone of the internet. Touch-sensitive covers for mobile phones revolutionized the way we communicate.

In this newsletter you'll find a quick overview about the news and activities of the past weeks. Do you want to share some information with the Cluster's members? Then please send us your news by email. And we will integrate it into the next edition. Thank you very much.

If you prefer to read the newsletter in your browser, please click here.

We wish you an energetic start into a productive 2022.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. NEWS

Kaiser Friedrich Research Prize 2020 granted to Bernhard Roth and his team

Hannover presented OPTICUM at Expo Real 2021 and his real estate report

IAC-member Luc Bergé gives Berlin Magnus House the status of an EPS Historic Site

PhoenixD scientists talk about the power of Light during the "November of Science 2021"

PhoenixD member Bernhard Roth and his team fight Skin Cancer with Optical Technologies and AI

PhoenixD recorded its episode for the new podcast "Exzellent erklärt - Spitzenforschung für alle"

Janna-Lee Steenblock and Sven Kleinert join PhoenixD Office

Oliver Burmeister presents Protoys to Lower Saxony's State Secretary Stefan Muhle

Members of the Lions Club visit PhoenxiD

PhoenixD welcomes 12 "FWJ'ler" (Participants of Voluntary Year in Science)

Angela Merkel visits Laseroptik in Garbsen

Let's start a Communication Task Force for PhoenixD - volunteers welcome!

Meet our members at SPIE PhotonicsWest

PhoenixD participated in the DFG Science Photo competition

Michèle Heurs discussed the power of quantumcomputing in Lower Saxony in a live debate

Spring Symposium of the JungChemikerForum

Open positions offered by PhoenixD members

Christmas Countdown on PhoenixD’s Twitter and LinkedIn-Accounts

II. PHOENIXD MEDIA DIGEST

PhoenixD members in the media

III. FACTS AND FIGURES

Short News about the new coalitian agreement, funding and the market of photonic products

IV. SAVE THE DATES

Save the Date: MIT European Career Fair

Save the Date: Quantum Alliance + IMPRS-QST PhD Conference

Save the date: International Day of Light: May 16th

Save the Date: Humboldt meets Leibniz 2022

Save the Date: PhoenixD Laser Day 2022

Save the date: IdeenExpo

Save the Date: Hannover Materials Chemistry Symposium

Save the Date: Europhoton 2022

Save the date: PhoenixD Retreat and PRS Summer School 2022

PhoenixD hosts annual meeting of VDMA chapters Micro Technologies / Productronic

Save the date: Day of Photonics on 21 October 2022

VI. PUBLICATIONS

Our Scientific Publications