Summer Event: MPL celebrates 10 years of its institute building on Staudtstraße
An invitation to connect: On July 9, the support association of the MPL, “Verein der Freunde und Ehemaligen des Max-Planck-Instituts für die Physik des Lichts e.V.”, invited any interested parties to its summer event. The attendees gained exciting insights into the research being conducted at MPL.
The occasion for the event was the 10th anniversary of the institute building at Staudtstraße 2, which was completed in 2016. In his welcoming remarks, Prof. Vahid Sandoghdar, Managing Director at MPL, welcomed the guests with a clip from the documentary “Tracing Light – Die Magie des Lichts”. He then took the audience on a journey through the history of sciences of light. Over the centuries, renowned physicists – including Newton, Maxwell, and Planck – have explored the magic of light, continually pushing the boundaries of scientific understanding. This is precisely the goal of the MPL: to gain a deeper understanding of the physics of light through new research findings. Sandoghdar then provided an overview of the institute building’s ten-year history and the numerous achievements that have made the MPL an internationally recognized “powerhouse” in the field of light research.
Prof. Christoph Marquardt then spoke about the latest developments in quantum computers and quantum encryption. The ability of quantum computers to quickly solve certain highly complex mathematical problems in cryptography poses enormous challenges for data security. In his keynote address, Marquardt presented the approach to quantum cryptography that he and his research group are pursuing. The transition to quantum-secure encryption will affect numerous areas of life – from telecommunications infrastructure to bank transfers.
Lab tour with fascinating insights into research
During a guided tour of the building and the labs, the guests got an up-close look at the institute.
Dr. Michael Frosz, head of the TDSU “Fiber Fabrication and Glass Studio” at MPL, demonstrated how optical glass fibers can be manufactured with microscopically small air channels that extend along their entire length. This allows the properties of the guided light to be influenced specifically and in entirely new ways. Markus Lippl explained to the visitors how these optical glass fibers are used in the laboratories. Among other things, the researchers use fibers with hollow cores that can be filled with gas to investigate various effects.
During the concluding get-together, all interested parties – including members of the MPL support association, institute staff, and researchers – engaged in conversation.
