Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat takes the lead

Joint press release of the Universities of Würzburg and Dresden

On August 28, 2019, the universities of Würzburg and Dresden officially celebrated their success in the Excellence Strategy at a kick-off meeting in the Würzburg Residence. In the newly established Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat, they are jointly researching on quantum materials.

There are differences between Dresden and Würzburg. Dresden is the state capital, has four times more inhabitants and offers much more historical splendour. The local dialect also stands out from the Lower Franconian dialect.

And there are things that connect Dresden and Würzburg. Both cities are situated in charming river valleys with a mild climate. And both have universities whose physics faculties are international leaders in the field of topological materials.

Materials for technological applications

Now the physics groups at Julius Maximilian University (JMU) Würzburg and Technische Universität Dresden (TUD) have joined forces: In the Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat, they are performing joint research on novel materials that could be of interest for information processing, energy supply and other technological applications.

The Cluster of Excellence "Complexity and Topology in Quantum Materials (ct.qmat)" will be funded with 42 million euros in the Excellence Strategy of the Federal Government and the Länder until the end of 2025. The Free State of Bavaria is supporting the Würzburg part of the research network with an additional 3.5 million euros.

The Bavarian-Saxon cluster started its work in January 2019. Now was the time to celebrate the success of the Excellence Strategy together. The kick-off event took place yesterday, on August 28, 2019 in the Fürstensaal of the Würzburger Residenz. A delegation from Dresden, headed by the Rector Prof. Hans Müller-Steinhagen, arrived by bus.

Much support for young researchers

Among the guests in the Fürstensaal were mainly of doctoral students and postdocs - no wonder, since the Cluster of Excellence has set itself the goal of promoting young scientists.

Four junior research groups, two at each location, will be established within the framework of ct.qmat. A "Quantum Matter Academy" will also be set up, where doctoral students will be optimally prepared for a career in science through additional offers. The Hallwachs-Röntgen Program promotes outstanding postdocs who conduct research at both locations. In addition, five new professorships will be established, three of them at JMU, two at TUD.

As a funding measure for young female scientists, the cluster will establish an international network of women researching solid state physics. "Because the proportion of women in our field is not yet so high," said Professor Ralph Claessen, Cluster spokesperson from Würzburg.

Claessen presented the Cluster of Excellence at the ceremony together with the Dresden spokesperson Professor Matthias Vojta. The audience learned from the two physics professors that 66 cluster publications have appeared in renowned scientific journals since the beginning of the year.

The cluster is therefore very visible after a relatively short period of time. JMU President Alfred Forchel also pointed this out in his welcoming address: According to him, the number of students applying for Master's theses on cluster topics at the JMU has increased significantly.

A clear sign for the research community

As TUD Rector Hans Müller-Steinhagen pointed out, ct.qmat is the only cross-national Cluster of Excellence: "We hope that we can set an example for the scientific community in Germany". This is also demonstrates that two locations that are 370 kilometres apart can successfully conduct research together.

At the ceremony, Michael Mihatsch, head of section at the Bavarian ministry, conveyed greetings and congratulations from the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts. At the end of the event, Professors Laurens Molenkamp, Roderich Moessner and Ronny Thomale offered insights into their fields of research. The meeting ended with a reception in the foyer of the Fürstensaal.

All information on the Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat: https://www.ctqmat.de

Media Inquiries:
Prof. Dr. Matthias Vojta
Technische Universität Dresden
Tel.: 351 463-34135

Prof. Dr. Ralph Claessen
Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg
Tel.: 0931 31-85732