Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging
The Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging (CUI) is a research facility established in the context of the Universities Excellence Initiative by the German Federal and State Governments.[1] The multidisciplinary and interinstitutional cluster is located at Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany, and has been initiated on 1 November 2012. The funding with €25 million by the German Research Foundation[2] will run until 31. October 2017. Scientific teams cooperating in the cluster come from the Universität Hamburg, the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), the European XFEL GmbH (XFEL), the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), and the newly founded Max-Planck-Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter (MPSD).
Aims
The fundamental research at CUI aims to analyze chemical and physical processes in the field of photon and nano science: About 150 involved scientists investigate the chronological sequence of movements related to reactions and processes at the interface of quantum physics, molecular biology and nanochemistry.
The aim is to watch structural changes of systems in action and draw conclusions about the relation between structure and dynamics and how they facilitate the control of atomic systems. In this respect three research areas are regarded. In the field of "Imaging and Control of Quantum Systems", systems of different size, ranging from small molecules up to volume systems, are investigated with respect to their dynamic quantum mechanical properties, especially regarding their interaction with surrounding light fields. In the second research field "Atomically Resolved Structural Dynamics", CUI regards structural changes of macrobiological and biochemical systems on atomic and temporal levels. In the third topic of research the "Dynamics of Order Formation on the Nanoscale" are investigated.
Organization
The cluster’s spokespersons are:
- R. J. Dwayne Miller,[3] Max-Planck-Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter
- Horst Weller, Universität Hamburg, Institute of Physical Chemistry
- Klaus Sengstock, Universität Hamburg, Institute of Laser-Physics
Teachings and Support
A graduate school with an international, interdisciplinary PhD-program is embedded within the cluster of excellence. The school lab "Light and Schools" cooperates with numerous schools in Hamburg and offers the opportunity to explore basic research and modern laser technology outside the classroom. The school lab is supported by the Joachim Herz Foundation.
Prizes and Awards
In collaboration with the Joachim Herz Foundation, CUI awards the Hamburg Prize for Theoretical Physics, honoring outstanding contributions in the fields of atoms, molecules and quantum optics, as well as condensed matter with a prize-money of 40,000 €. In addition the cluster organizes the Mildred-Dresselhaus Guest Professorship Program with an award including prize-money of 20,000 (senior scientist), respectively 10,000 € (junior scientist), in order to recruit designated female scientist to spend a research period in Hamburg as role models for women.
Awardees for the Hamburg Prize for Theoretical Physics
- Maciej Lewenstein, ICFO Barcelona, Spain (2010)
- Peter Zoller, Universität Innsbruck, Austria (2011)
- Shaul Mukamel, University of California, USA (2012)
- Chris H. Greene, Purdue University, USA (2013)
- Antoine Georges, Collège de France, École Polytechnique, Universität Genf, France/Switzerland (2014)
- Ignacio Cirac, Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics in Garching (Munich), Germany (2015)
Awardees Mildred Dresselhaus Award
- Tamar Seideman, Northwestern University, Chicago, USA (2013)
- Rosario González-Férez, Universidad de Granada, Spain (2013)
- Roseanne Sension, University of Michigan, USA (2014)
- Anouk Rijs, Radoud Universiteit, Netherlands (2014)
- Prof. Dr. Elspeth Garman, University of Oxford, England (2015)
- Dr. Liesbeth Janssen, Heinrich-Heine Universität Düsseldorf, Germany (2015)
References
External links and sources
- German Research Foundation (DFG) about the Excellence Initiative
- Description of CUI by the Universität Hamburg
- Description of CUI by the city state Hamburg
- Article: "CUI is officially excellent". Center for Free-Electron Science. 15 June 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2015
- PIER Helmholtz Graduate School about CUI
- Article: "Hamburg physicists successful in Excellence Initiative". European XFEL. 15 June 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2015
- CUI Website
- Participating Institutions
- "Dynamic in realitime". German article: Physik Journal. November 2013. Retrieved 12 May 2015
- Article: "Exzellenzcluster The Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging". Lifescience Nord. Retrieved 12 May 2015
- Klaus Sengstock
- Article: "Hamburger Wissenschaftspreis für Theoretische Physik" awarded to Maciej Lewenstein
- Article on ChemPhysChem: 2015 ACS National Awards November 2013 for Shaul Mukamel. 12 May 2015. Retrieved 15 June 2015
- Physics Today Post on Facebook about Chris Greene. 27. August 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2015
- Article: "Antoine Georges: Theorist of Condensed Matter". CNSR international magazine. Retrieved 15 June 2015
- German Article: "40,000 Euro for Achivements for Antoine Georges in Theoretical Physics". 13 November 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2015
- German Article: "Prof. Ignacio Cirac wird ausgezeichnet". 25 September 2015. Retrieved 14 November 2015
- Tamar Seidemann
- Rosario González Férez
- Article: "Guest professorship at Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging for Anouk Rijs". Radboud University. 20 November 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2015
- Roseanne Sension
- About the graduate school by the German Academic Exchange Service - DAAD
- Joachim Herz Foundation
- Article: "Elspeth Garman awarded prestigious Guest Professorship in Hamburg". 21 January 201r. Retrieved 21 January 2016