Dr. Clara Wanjura was awarded the Gustav Hertz Prize
Dr. Wanjura was honored with the Gustav Hertz Prize, one of the most prestigious awards for young researchers from the German Physical Society (DPG) in 2026. The DPG is honoring the group leader at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light (MPL) for her contributions to two highly relevant research areas: neuromorphic systems and non-Hermitian topology.
The theoretical physicist received the Gustav Hertz Prize from the DPG in recognition of her groundbreaking contributions to novel phenomena and their applications in complex photonic systems. “Her development of a general design principle for neuromorphic optical systems and her fundamental findings on topological transport are having a strong impact on the scientific community,” the jury explains its decision in an official statement.
“I am very pleased about this recognition of my work and see it as inspiration for the future,” said Wanjura. “I am particularly looking forward to continuing to research these exciting topics with my group.”
Wanjura and her research group “Topology and Neuromorphic Computing” are dedicated to questions at the intersection of quantum optics, solid-state physics, and machine learning. Wanjura focuses on developing a fundamental understanding of complex systems to provide new impetus for quantum technology and classical applications. She pursues two lines of research: neuromorphic systems, which are expected to reduce the energy requirements of computing operations, and non-Hermitian topological phenomena in open systems that can exchange energy with their environment. According to the DPG, thanks to her creative approaches, Wanjura has succeeded in making decisive progress in both areas and developing new theoretical foundations.
The award ceremony will take place on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, during the 89th DPG Annual Meeting and Spring Meeting of the Matter and Cosmos Section (SMuK) in Erlangen.
About Dr. Clara Wanjura
After studying at the University of Ulm, she conducted research as a doctoral student at the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge from 2018 to 2022. She then returned to Germany and worked as a postdoctoral researcher in the Theory Department under Prof. Florian Marquardt at the MPL until the end of 2024. Since early 2025, she has led her Minerva Fast Track Group “Topology and Neuromorphic Computing” which recently transitioned into an independent research group.
About the Gustav Hertz Prize
The Gustav Hertz Prize recognizes outstanding work recently completed by one or more young physicists and serves as an incentive for young talent. The work should be in the fields of experimental or theoretical physics, demonstrate a certain degree of completion, and contain new findings. The award is endowed with €7,500 in prize money.
