In the Cluster of Excellence PhoenixD, the three researchers are investigating the behaviour of novel materials and processes to increase the performance of optical technologies. Areas of application include, for example, higher data transmission rates via optical fibres, more precise medical diagnostics using highly focused X-rays or the development of highly sensitive sensors for the detection of biomarkers such as the protein content in the blood.
The interviewees
Prof. Dr. Uwe Morgner has been Professor of Experimental Physics at Leibniz Universität Hannover (LUH) since 2004. His research group focuses on new sources of femto- and sub-femtosecond laser pulses in experiment and theory/numerics. Current work deals with optical parametric amplifiers, high-power disk laser concepts and coherent generation of X-rays.
Morgner is the spokesperson of the Cluster of Excellence PhoenixD, founding chairman of the Leibniz Research School for Optics & Photonics at LUH and scientific director at the Laser Zentrum Hannover e. V. (LZH). In the cluster, he heads the Optics Simulation research area, to which Dr. Oliver Melchert and Stephanie Willms also belong.
In his research, Dr. Oliver Melchert focuses on numerical methods for accurately predicting the propagation dynamics of laser pulses in nonlinear waveguides. His work excites him because computer simulations can be used to investigate complex models of physical problems to understand optical phenomena better.
In her doctoral thesis, physicist Stephanie Willms uses simulations to investigate light-light interactions in optical fibres. She also looks in existing literature for model analogies from other scientific fields when working on a research question.
Listen to the PhoenixD episode
"Computer simulations - Using models to gain knowledge in optics"
on the hosting platform Podigee or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Deezer and other media. Never miss an upcoming episode and subscribe to "Exzellent erklärt".
The podcast "Excellently explained - cutting-edge research for all"
Since September 2021, the podcast has regularly reported on the work of the research collaborations funded under the Excellence Strategy of the German federal and state governments. The topics range from African studies to the future of medicine.
Ten science communicators from various clusters of excellence, also PhoenixD's Sonja Smalian, jointly developed the concept to make cutting-edge research visible and tangible for everyone. The common goal is to inform a broad public about current topics and working methods in research. The scientists of the Clusters of Excellence talk to podcaster Larissa Vassilian about how they want to use cutting-edge research to find scientifically sound answers to relevant issues of our time.
Since 2019, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) has been funding outstanding research fields at German universities and other scientific institutions with its 57 Clusters of Excellence. The federal and state governments provide 385 million euros annually for all clusters of excellence.
Listen to the PhoenixD episode
"Computer simulations - Using models to gain knowledge in optics"
on the hosting platform Podigee or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Deezer and other media. Never miss an upcoming episode and subscribe to "Exzellent erklärt".
