D-PHYS Newshttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news.htmlETH WCMS2024-03-07T08:15:00ZHow to fail productivelyKilian Kesslerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2024/03/how-to-fail-productively.html2024-03-07T08:15:00ZApprentices from four different professional careers paths within the vocational training programme managed by the Department of Physics had to work in teams to build an interactive exhibition item in the Physics4mation pilot project. They learned how to collaborate with colleagues, carry out interdisciplinary work and handle failure. The Physics4mation project will now be part of the vocational training programme in the physics department.If Earth were an exoplanetGaia Donatihttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2024/02/if-earth-were-an-exoplanet.html2024-02-26T10:40:00ZResearchers from the Institute for Particle Physics and Astrophysics at ETH Zurich and the Department of Astrophysics at the University of Zurich asked if the potential future LIFE space mission could detect evidence of a habitable and inhabited Earth – and the answer is affirmative.Rediscovering quantum mechanics through teachingGaia Donatihttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2024/02/rediscovering-quantum-mechanics-through-teaching.html2024-02-20T16:15:00ZNo two lecturers are likely to teach quantum mechanics in the same way, but many will agree that its richness and intrinsic peculiarities make for a wonderful playground for teaching experimentation.PPLUS grows thanks to Innovedum FundKilian J. Kesslerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2024/01/pplus-grows-thanks-to-innovedum-fund.html2024-01-22T11:30:00ZPhysics practicals allow undergraduate students to gain first-hand experience with conducting experiments in solid-state physics, quantum optics as well as nuclear and particle physics. PPLUS, a new project-based module, was launched in 2023 and offers an alternative to standard practicals. Thanks to recent support by the ETH Innovedum Fund, PPLUS will be growing further.Long live the graphene valley stateGaia Donatihttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2024/01/long-live-the-graphene-valley-state.html2024-01-17T11:30:00ZResearchers in the Laboratory for Solid State Physics at ETH Zurich found evidence that bilayer graphene quantum dots may host a promising new type of quantum bit based on so-called valley states.Quantum scars as a way out of thermalisationGaia Donatihttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2024/01/quantum-scars-as-a-way-out-of-thermalisation.html2024-01-15T08:30:00ZResearchers studied how quantum many-body scars, states that resist thermalisation, could be probed experimentally in a variety of systems and thus harnessed for quantum information processing applications.New year, new professorsGaia Donatihttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2023/12/new-year-new-professors.html2023-12-11T10:00:00ZAt the beginning of 2024, the Institute for Theoretical Physics will welcome Professors Juan Felipe Carrasquilla Álvarez and Nicolò Defenu.Golden Owl to Klaus EnsslinAnna Carmen Radihttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2023/11/golden-owl-to-klaus-ensslin.html2023-11-20T12:56:00ZKlaus Ensslin received a Golden Owl award for his teaching activities in the Department of Physics. Every year, the ETH Zurich Student Association (VSETH) honours lecturers whose excellent teaching stands out with this award.Driven by curiosityAnna Carmen Radihttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2023/11/driven-by-curiosity.html2023-11-13T11:22:00ZWe spoke with Jonathan Home, our current Head of the Department, on becoming a Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS) and about his career, motivations and goals.A call for transparencyGaia Donatihttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2023/11/a-call-for-transparency.html2023-11-08T15:30:00ZA new study points to potentially unacknowledged biases that affect grants awarded by the European Research Council.An ammonia trail to exoplanetsAndreas Jägerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2023/11/an-ammonia-trail-to-exoplanets.html2023-11-07T13:00:00ZWith the help of the James Webb Space Telescope, a team of researchers including members from the Institute for Particle Physics and Astrophysics at ETH Zurich measured ammonia in the atmosphere of a cold brown dwarf, showing that the isotopic abundance of ammonia can be used to study how giant gas planets form.The walk that leads to the combOliver Morschhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2023/10/the-walk-that-leads-to-the-comb.html2023-10-26T21:15:00ZUsing a random walk generated by modulating a ring quantum cascade laser, researchers from the Institute for Quantum Electronics at ETH Zurich have realised a new type of frequency comb.Peering behind the quantum mechanical curtainGaia Donatihttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2023/10/peering-behind-the-quantum-mechanical-curtain.html2023-10-24T12:00:00ZResearchers from the Institute for Theoretical Physics used a more general formulation of quantum mechanics to study a breakdown of adiabaticity.SNSF-funded projects start for Elsa Abreu and Puneet Anantha MurthyGaia Donatihttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2023/09/snsf-funded-projects-start-for-elsa-abreu-and-puneet-anantha-murthy.html2023-09-29T12:30:00ZThe two researchers, who are members of the Institute for Quantum Electronics, were both awarded SNSF Starting Grants.Uncle Scrooge discovers cosmic muonsGaia Donatihttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2023/09/uncle-scrooge-discovers-cosmic-muons.html2023-09-18T08:45:00ZLuigi Marchese, a researcher in the Institute for Particle Physics and Astrophysics, talks about his outreach work with the publisher of an iconic Italian comic series.D-PHYS at the ETH Information Days 2023Kilian Kesslerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2023/09/d-phys-at-information-days-2023.html2023-09-12T15:19:00ZVisitors at this year's ETH Information Days learned what it means to study physics through conversations with current students and lectures given by members of the department.D-PHYS at the Long Night of the Museums 2023Kilian Kesslerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2023/09/long-night-of-museums-2023.html2023-09-08T06:50:00ZPhysicists Andreas Eggenberger and Marius Simon demonstrated some exciting experiments during this year's Long Night of the Zurich Museums at <i>focus</i>Terra: they debunked the colour of gold, created a rainbow in the middle of the night and let a green laser beam take a balloon to its breaking point.D-PHYS at Scientifica 2023Kilian Kesslerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2023/08/scientifica-2023.html2023-09-05T05:00:00ZOn 2 and 3 September up to 30,000 visitors sought answers to the question: what holds the world together?Looking out of the bubbleGaia Donatihttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2023/08/looking-out-of-the-bubble.html2023-08-24T14:00:00ZAn ambitious space mission could open the way to a better understanding of our heliosphere and of cosmic dust.Where physics and mathematics meetGaia Donatihttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2023/08/where-physics-and-mathematics-meet.html2023-08-08T12:00:00ZPer Moosavi, a postdoctoral researcher in the Institute for Theoretical Physics at ETH Zurich, talks about what makes a good scientific workshop and what it takes to bring together different research communities.Celebrating ion beam physicsGaia Donatihttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2023/07/celebrating-ion-beam-physics.html2023-07-06T19:30:00ZThe Laboratory for Ion Beam Physics has much to celebrate in 2023.Optical solitons go terahertzGaia Donatihttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2023/07/optical-solitons-go-terahertz.html2023-07-04T09:30:00ZIn a feat of optical waveguide engineering, researchers from the Institute for Quantum Electronics at ETH Zurich have successfully observed terahertz solitons in a ring quantum cascade laser.Single atoms for everyoneGaia Donatihttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2023/06/single-atoms-for-everyone.html2023-06-13T10:15:00ZThanks to a collaboration between the Department of Physics at ETH Zurich and Technorama, visitors to the Science Centre can see with their naked eye very small objects that behave according to the unfamiliar laws of quantum mechanics – single atoms.Electrons: collective or independent – that sometimes lies in the eye of the beholderLukas Gallmann / Kilian J. Kesslerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2023/05/gallmann-electrons.html2023-05-02T10:00:00ZAbsorption of light adds energy to a material. The electrons inside the material can react collectively or independently to that energy. Here, the dominant reaction pattern should not depend on perspective. However, in compound semiconductors, surprisingly, divergent responses are obtained depending on which atomic constituent is consulted. Knowledge of both perspectives is necessary to optimize new materials for applications in electronics and optoelectronics.Challenging quantum mechanics with a crystalOliver Morschhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2023/03/challenging-quantum-mechanics-with-a-crystal.html2023-03-31T09:00:00ZResearchers at ETH have put a crystal into a quantum superposition state and measured for how long quantum effects in the vibrations of the crystal lasted. Such measurements are important for putting bounds on possible modifications of quantum theory that could explain why we do not see quantum features in everyday life.Magnetic matchmaking under the microscopeAndreas Trabesingerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2023/01/magnetic-matchmaking-under-the-microscope.html2023-01-18T18:04:00ZExperimentalists at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics in Garching (Germany), in close collaboration with theoretical physicist Eugene Demler at ETH Zurich, observed for the first time in microscopic detail how magnetic correlations mediate the pairing of quantum entities known as holes. The work establishes an intriguing platform for exploring theoretical models of high-temperature superconductivity — and might guide future efforts for designing novel quantum materials.Integrated photonic circuits could help close the ‘terahertz gap’C. Luterbacher (EPFL), adapted by N.Kalas (D-PHYS)https://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2023/01/lithium-niobate-chips.html2023-01-12T11:00:00ZEPFL researchers have collaborated with colleagues at ETH Zurich and Harvard University on a new thin-film circuit which, when connected to a laser beam, produces finely tailorable terahertz-frequency waves. The device opens up a world of potential applications in optics and telecommunications.Free ride for electrons improves soft X-rays generationLukas Gallmann / Pierre-Alexis Chevreuil / Regina Moserhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2022/12/free-ride-for-electrons.html2022-12-21T13:00:00ZTraffic obstructions are not only a nuisance for our everyday mobility; they can also have negative consequences for the smallest particles such as electrons. If physicists want to study very fast dynamics in matter using soft X-rays, a clear path for electrons is required.SERI-financed ERC grant for Tobias DonnerFlorian Meyerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2022/11/seri-financed-erc-grant-for-tobias-donner.html2022-11-16T04:00:00ZTobias Donner, Senior Scientist and lecturer in the Quantum Optics Group at the Institute for Quantum Electronics, has received a SERI-financed ERC Consolidator Grant. He plans to use the funding to explore the fundamental principles behind the interaction between quantum many-body systems and light.A dual boost for optical delay scanninghttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2022/11/a-dual-boost-for-optical-delay-scanning.html2022-11-10T15:32:00ZVarious applications of pulsed laser sources rely on the ability to produce a series of pulse pairs with a stepwise increasing delay between them. Implementing such optical delay scanning with high precision is demanding, in particular for long delays. Addressing this challenge, ETH physicists have developed a versatile ‘dual-comb’ laser that combines a wide scanning range with high power, low noise, stable operation, and ease of use — thereby offering bright prospects for practical uses.A quantum pump without the crankhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2022/08/a-quantum-pump-without-the-crank.html2022-08-22T08:16:00ZETH physicists demonstrate how atoms can be pumped through a synthetic crystal without having to apply external periodic driving. These experiments combine several key aspects of quantum many-body physics in unexpected ways, thus paving a novel path to understanding and creating exotic states of quantum matter.Switzerland wins the World Physics ChampionshipRegina Moserhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2022/08/schweiz-gewinnt-die-physikweltmeisterschaft.html2022-08-19T18:00:00ZIn 2022, the Swiss team won the World Physics Championship, the International Young Physicists' Tournament (IYPT). Singapore and Poland came second and third.The mysteries of cosmic dustArian Bastanihttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2022/08/the-mysteries-of-cosmic-dust.html2022-08-16T12:58:00ZResearchers of the ETH Zurich and the National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) PlanetS have closely analysed the characteristics of cosmic dust based on laboratory experiments and measurement data collected by space missions. Their results reveal fundamental gaps in the knowledge about this material that is vital for our understanding of galaxies and planetary systems.A key role for quantum entanglementAndreas Trabesinger, with contributions from the international research teamhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2022/07/a-key-role-for-quantum-entanglement.html2022-07-27T14:00:00ZA method known as quantum key distribution has long held the promise of communication security unattainable in conventional cryptography. An international team of scientists, including ETH physicists, has now demonstrated experimentally, for the first time, an approach to quantum key distribution that uses high-quality quantum entanglement to provide much broader security guarantees than previous schemes.Night of Physics 2022Regina Moser (English adaptation: N. Kalas)https://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2022/07/what-a-night.html2022-07-01T10:00:00ZLetting your curiosity run free, asking a thousand questions and learning something new. On 17 June 2022, the Department of Physics at ETH Zurich welcomed several thousand guests at the summer festival of science on the Hönggerberg campus, the Night of Physics 2022.Going gentle on mechanical quantum systemsAndreas Trabesingerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2022/05/going-gentle-on-mechanical-quantum-systems.html2022-05-13T15:54:00ZSystems in which mechanical motion is controlled at the level of individual quanta are emerging as a promising quantum-technology platform. New experimental work now establishes how quantum properties of such systems can be measured without destroying the quantum state — a key ingredient for tapping the full potential of mechanical quantum systems.The side effects of quantum error correction and how to cope with themAndreas Trabesingerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2022/04/the-side-effects-of-quantum-error-correction-and-how-to-cope-with-them.html2022-04-06T17:32:00ZIt is well established that quantum error correction can improve the performance of quantum sensors. But new theory work cautions that, unexpectedly, the approach can also give rise to inaccurate and misleading results — and shows how to rectify these shortcomings.How do you discover life on exoplanets?Regina Moserhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2022/03/life-on-exoplanets.html2022-03-31T14:00:00ZWhat new telescopes are needed for this? In recent years, astronomers have discovered thousands of planets outside our solar system – so-called exoplanets. They orbit stars other than our sun. Some of them could offer conditions that make life possible.Imagining an Earthly neighbourAndreas Trabesingerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2022/03/imagining-an-earthly-neighbour.html2022-03-10T15:00:00ZWe do not yet know whether the Sun-like stars closest to us, the α Centauri A/B binary, harbour an Earth-like planet. However, thanks to new modelling work, we now have a good sense of what such a planet, should it exist, would look like and how it might have evolved.Get connected!Korinna Esfeld, Regina Moserhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2022/03/get-connected.html2022-03-08T07:00:00ZWomen scientists in photon science talk about their research and the impact their work has on the field. From the perspective of early career to established researchers, they also talk about necessary skills, career steps, and role models. They are members of the Swiss Society for Photon Science, an academic society that represents and supports scientists active in the many different fields of photon science.Vacuum fluctuations break topological protectionAndreas Trabesingerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2022/03/vacuum-fluctuations-break-topological-protection.html2022-03-04T14:23:00ZA hallmark of so-called topological quantum states is that they are protected against local perturbations. ETH physicists now demonstrate that in the paradigmatic case of the integer quantum Hall effect, vacuum fluctuations can cause a breakdown of topological protection.Attracting and promoting talentRegina Moserhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2022/02/attracting-and-promoting-talent.html2022-03-01T12:00:00ZETH Zurich is a magnet for talented people from all over the world. It also thrives to attract the greatest talents for its Master’s programme. Five outstanding students started their Master's in Physics in September 2021 with a ETH Excellence Scholarship. This support enables them to concentrate fully on their studies – or to study at ETH Zurich at all.Quantum errors made more tolerableAndreas Trabesingerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2022/02/quantum-errors-made-more-tolerable.html2022-02-11T16:10:00ZETH physicists have modified one of the major schemes for quantum error correction and put it into practice, demonstrating that they can substantially prolong the lifetime of quantum states — a crucial ingredient for future large-scale quantum computers.Quantum Physics at TechnoramaRegina Moser / Natascha Hedrichhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2022/01/quantum-physics-at-technorama.html2022-02-03T07:00:00ZQuantum computers and quantum mechanics are currently the focus of intensive research, including at ETH Zurich, and are also increasingly becoming topics in the media. In this domain, researchers work with the tiniest of particles daily, with a particular emphasis on experimentally realizing a new era of information technologies with capabilities beyond those available to us today. But how can this world of quantum physics be experienced outside the laboratory?Oded Zilberberg breaks new groundRegina Moserhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2021/12/oded-zilberberg-geht-neue-wege.html2021-12-13T08:31:00ZThe Swiss National Science Foundation's SNSF professorships are intended for highly qualified young researchers who aspire to a permanent professorship. Over  six years, quantum researcher Oded Zilberberg conducted his research project as an assistant professor at the Department of Physics at ETH Zurich under this SNSF funding scheme.A planet beyond the realm of possibilityArian Bastanihttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2021/12/A-planet-beyound-the-ralm-of-possibility.html2021-12-08T16:30:00ZAn international team of researchers with participation of the National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) PlanetS, ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich has succeeded in capturing an image of a very special planet. No known planet orbits a hotter or more massive star system. Some astronomers even considered it impossible for planets to exist in such an environment.Future projects of the European Space Agency ESAArian Bastani, Adaption: Regina Moserhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2021/11/zukunftsprojekte-der-europaeischen-weltraumorganisation-esa.html2021-12-02T12:50:00ZIn 2021, ESA selected three themes from a hundred proposals for its largest science missions, “Voyage 2050”. The National Centre of Competence in Research, or NCCR, “PlanetS” with its partner institutions ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich proposed two of the three chosen topics. The NCCR “PlanetS” is led by the two home institutions, the University of Bern and the University of Geneva.Cascading femtosecond lasers into the mid-infraredAndreas Trabesingerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2021/11/cascading-femtosecond-lasers-into-the-mid-infrared.html2021-11-29T10:26:00ZThe first demonstration of direct femtosecond-pulse emission from a quantum cascade laser in the mid-infrared region paves the path towards novel applications of ultrashort laser pulses.“Zukunftstag” 2021 at the Department of Physics at ETH ZurichRegina Moserhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2021/11/Zukunftstag-2021-at-the-Department-of-Physics-at-ETH-Zurich.html2021-11-24T14:40:00ZThe “Nationale Zukunftstag” on 11 November is an important event at ETH Zurich. It offers many children the opportunity to get to know ETH Zurich from the inside. 17 different programmes were offered by various ETH units, some of which would have probably been of interest to adults, too.Hamburg Prize for Theoretical Physics goes to Eugene DemlerRegina Moserhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2021/11/hamburg-prize-for-theoretical-physics-to-eugene-demler.html2021-11-10T13:22:00ZEugene Demler, quantum researcher and professor at ETH Zurich, was honoured for his theoretical work on quantum fluids and solids, especially for his contributions to the study of ultracold atoms in optical lattices.Veerle Sterken awarded the Christophe Plantin Prize 2021Anna Radihttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2021/11/dr-veerle-sterken-awarded-the-christophe-plantin-prize-2021.html2021-11-05T16:00:00ZWe are delighted to announce that this year's Christophe Plantin Prize has been awarded to Dr. Veerle Sterken for her pioneering research into interstellar dust in the solar system.Electrical control over designer quantum materialsAndreas Trabesingerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2021/10/electrical-control-over-designer-quantum-materials.html2021-10-21T21:12:00ZIn the past few years, suitably engineered stacks of two-dimensional materials have emerged as a powerful platform for studying quantum correlations between electronic states. ETH physicists now demonstrate how key properties of such systems can be conveniently tuned by changing an applied electrical field.Switzerland in 50 portraitsRegina Moserhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2021/08/die-schweiz-in-50-portraets.html2021-08-16T15:30:00ZHow is Switzerland's performance perceived abroad? What role do women play in this? Women’s contributions and their stories often go untold, their voices unheard, their impact is overlooked. The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs is drawing attention to this on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of national women's suffrage in Switzerland.Quantum engineers in high demandKatja Abrahams-Lehnerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2021/08/quantum-engineers-in-high-demand-nature-materials.html2021-08-16T09:03:00ZProf. Lukas Novotny, Dr. Martin Frimmer, and Dr. Gabriele Rainò discuss the approach they are pursuing at ETH Zürich to provide students with an education in quantum engineering at Master's level.Exploring the limits of light–matter coupling at the nanoscaleAndreas Heinz Trabesingerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2021/08/exploring-the-limits-of-lightmatter-coupling-at-the-nanoscale.html2021-08-09T16:37:00ZIn nanophotonic devices, light and matter can be coupled in ways that give rise to new quantum phenomena. Theoretical and experimental work now establishes that are physical limits to just how strong light–matter coupling can be made in such systems.Congratulations, Rector Dissertori!Nicole Kalashttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2021/05/rector-dissertori.html2021-05-21T10:00:00ZThe ETH Board has confirmed Prof. Dr. Günther Dissertori to be the new Rector. He will we take over the duties of Prof. Dr. Sarah M. Springman, who has served in this role since 2015.Ursula Keller elected member of the National Academy of SciencesNicole Kalashttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2021/05/nas-2021-ursula-keller.html2021-05-19T17:57:00ZThe National Academy of Sciences (USA) has announced the election of 30 international members in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in research, among them ETH physicist Ursula Keller. Current trend reversedAndreas Heinz Trabesingerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2021/05/current-trend-reversed.html2021-05-13T10:27:00ZThe demonstration that a tiny cloud of atoms can be turned from a heat engine into a cooler by cranking up the interactions between the particles provides both deep fundamental insight and a possible template for more efficient thermoelectric devices.World Quantum Day interview-talkFrancesca Bayhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2021/04/world-quantum-day-interview-talk1.html2021-04-07T06:00:00Z14 April 2021 is World Quantum Day! On the occasion of the launch of this initiative, the Quantum Center, ETH Zurich invites you, your family and friends to an online interview with Professors Yiwen Chu and Renato Renner, moderated by doctoral student Chiara Decaroli.Lights on for silicon photonicsAndreas Heinz Trabesingerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2021/03/lights-on-for-silicon-photonics.html2021-03-08T17:03:00ZThe demonstration of electroluminescence at terahertz frequencies from a silicon-germanium device marks a key step towards the long-sought goal of a silicon-based laser.Ursula Keller awarded ERC Proof-of-Concept GrantNicole Kalashttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2021/03/ursula-keller-awarded-erc-proof-of-concept-grant.html2021-03-01T14:00:00ZUrsula Keller, professor at the Institute for Quantum Electronics, has received one of the 55 Proof of Concept (PoC) grants awarded by the European Research Council (ERC) in its latest funding round. Kicking off on 1 March 2021, the grant will enable her and her group to explore novel commercial applications of the dual comb-laser spectroscopy.A magnetic twist for grapheneGianni Blatterhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2021/02/a-magnetic-twist-for-graphene1.html2021-02-09T16:06:00ZA slight twist between two layers of graphene generates a wealth of strongly interacting states. New theory work shows that sandwiching this assembly between ferromagnets forces the “valley” degree of freedom to dominate the physics, enriching the prospects of such twisted bilayer systems even further.New microscopy concept enters into forceAndreas Heinz Trabesingerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2021/02/new-microscopy-concept-enters-into-force.html2021-02-05T17:31:00ZThe first demonstration of an approach that inverts the standard paradigm of scanning probe microscopy raises the prospect of force sensing at the fundamental limit.“We have to make the right moves!”Regina Moserhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2020/12/informationen-verarbeiten-und-uebermitteln.html2020-12-30T15:39:00ZETH professor Renato Renner is one of the world’s leading theoreticians in quantum information science. He talks about the latest developments. Renato Renner’s group focuses on the question of how the processing and transmission of information relates to physical laws.The future draws nearerRegina Moserhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2020/12/the-future-draws-nearer.html2020-12-17T07:00:00ZYiwen Chu researches new ways of connecting quantum technologies, with the aim of creating a quantum telecommunications network for the exchange and storage of quantum information.New professors appointedAndreas Heinz Trabesingerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2020/12/new-professors-appointed.html2020-12-11T17:05:00ZAt its meeting of 9 and 10 December 2020 and upon application of Joël Mesot, President of ETH Zurich, the ETH Board appointed 14 professors, among them Rachel Grange as Associate Professor of Photonics and Judit Szulágyi as Assistant Professor of Computational Astrophysics at the Departement of Physics.2020 VMP Assistant AwardMonika Krichelhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2020/12/2020-vmp-assistant-award.html2020-12-07T12:30:00ZThe association of mathematics, physics and CSE (Computational Science and Engineering) students has awarded the 2020 VMP Assistant Award to ten student teaching assistants from the Departments of Mathematics and Physics.Miraculous view of a nascent planetAndreas Heinz Trabesingerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2020/11/miracles.html2020-11-27T18:26:00ZMid-infrared imaging observations of PDS 70 b, an exoplanet that is still in the process of formation, provide unique insight into its atmospheric properties and the mechanisms by which planets emerge from a circumstellar disk of gas and dust.Golden Owl for Günther DissertoriAndreas Trabesingerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2020/11/golden-owl.html2020-11-21T18:30:00ZEvery year, the Association of Students at ETH Zurich (VSETH) honours on ETH Day lecturers who have provided exceptional teaching with the &quot;Golden Owl&quot;. For courses in the Departments of Physics, the award goes this year to Günther Dissertori .Shaping our future – Sustainability in the Department of PhysicsRegina Moserhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2020/11/shaping-our-future-sustainability-in-the-department-of-physics.html2020-11-20T09:44:00ZAt the Department of Physics, we take on our responsibility to society. We would like to contribute a fair share in fulfilling the goals of the Paris Agreement of 2015 towards net-zero CO₂ emissions. On this path, we shall shape our research such that it can be conducted successfully and sustainably in the long run.ERC Synergy Grant for Klaus EnsslinAndreas Heinz Trabesingerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2020/11/erc-synergy-klaus-ensslin.html2020-11-06T17:21:00ZTwo research projects with ETH Zurich involvement have been awarded one of the highly coveted ERC Synergy Grants, including a project of ETH physicist Klaus Ensslin and colleagues in France, Canada and Israel, who will work towards measuring entropy and other thermodynamic properties of correlated quantum states in mesoscopic systems.Two new physics professors appointedAndreas Heinz Trabesingerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2020/09/two-new-physics-professors-appointed.html2020-09-25T16:46:00ZAt its meeting of 23 and 24 September 2020 and upon application of Joël Mesot, President of ETH Zurich, the ETH Board appointed a total of seven professors, among them physicists Marina Krstic Marinkovic and Leonardo Senatore.ERC Starting Grants for Yiwen Chu and Judit SzulágyiAndreas Heinz Trabesingerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2020/09/erc-starting-grants-chu-szulagyi.html2020-09-03T18:28:00ZETH has once again been highly successful in the awarding of this year’s ERC Starting Grants for young researchers, with the European Research Council (ERC) approving a total of CHF 21.4 million in funding for 12 ETH project submissions, among them those of physicists Yiwen Chu and Judit Szulágyi.A new path for electron optics in solid-state systemsAndreas Heinz Trabesingerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2020/07/a-new-path-for-electron-optics-in-solid-state-systems.html2020-07-14T10:42:00ZIn combined theoretical and experimental work, ETH physicists introduce and demonstrate a novel mechanism for electron optics in two-dimensional solid-state systems. The discovery opens up a route to engineering quantum-optical phenomena in a variety of materials and devices.Anna Sótér appointed Tenure Track Assistant Professorhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2020/07/anna-soter-appointed-tenure-track-assistant-professor.html2020-07-10T05:00:00ZIn the current round of appointments, four men and four women were appointed or promoted to ETH professors, among them the physicist Anna Sótér, who has been appointed Tenure Track Assistant Professor of Low Energy Particle Physics.Precise test of general relativity from a cosmic cataclysmAndreas Heinz Trabesingerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2020/07/precise-test-of-general-relativity-from-a-cosmic-cataclysm.html2020-07-09T21:11:00ZIn 2019, the Major Atmospheric Gamma Imaging Cherenkov (MAGIC) telescopes — to which ETH physicists have made substantial contributions — detected the first Gamma Ray Burst at very high energies. With further analyses of those data, the MAGIC scientists now confirmed that the speed of light is constant in vacuum, and not dependent on energy. So, like many other tests, GRB data also corroborate Einstein’s theory of General Relativity. CMS submitted its 1000th journal paperAndreas Heinz Trabesingerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2020/06/cms-submitted-its-1000th-journal-paper.html2020-06-19T12:56:00ZScientists at the CMS experiment at CERN's Large Hadron Collider, to which ETH physicists are making central contributions, submitted their 1,000th paper — and this is just the beginning.Research under lockdownAndreas Heinz Trabesingerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2020/06/research-under-lockdown.html2020-06-16T13:42:00ZETH researchers are normally found in the lab. &quot;ETH Globe&quot; asked researchers from the Department of Physics what it’s like working from home.With noise to completely secure communicationAndreas Heinz Trabesingerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2020/06/with-noise-to-completely-secure-communication.html2020-06-11T14:00:00ZHow can we protect communications against 'eavesdropping' if we don’t trust the devices used in the process? This is one of the main questions in quantum-cryptography research. Researchers at the University of Basel and ETH Zurich have now developed the theoretical groundwork for a communication protocol that guarantees one hundred percent privacy.ELT METIS instrument passes design milestoneAndreas Heinz Trabesingerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2020/06/elt-metis-instrument-passes-design-milestone.html2020-06-05T10:00:00ZMETIS, the powerful imager and spectrograph for the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) of the European Southern Observatory (ESO), has passed its Preliminary Design Review. ETH researchers have leading roles in the project and provide a major hardware contribution.The cascade to criticalityAndreas Heinz Trabesingerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2020/06/the-cascade-to-criticality.html2020-06-01T15:00:00ZCombined theoretical and experimental work unveils a novel mechanism through which criticality emerges in quasiperiodic structures — a finding that provides unique insight into the physics on the middle ground between order and disorder.New professors appointedAndreas Heinz Trabesingerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2020/05/new-professors-appointed.html2020-05-16T10:29:00ZAt its last meeting, the ETH Board appointed six new professors at the request of ETH President Joël Mesot, among them physicist Steven Johnson. Moreover, the title of professor has been awarded to D-PHYS member Lukas Gallmann, as well as to two further ETH researchers.  Jürg Fröhlich elected member of the National Academy of SciencesAndreas Heinz Trabesingerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2020/04/juerg-froehlich-national-academy-of-sciences.html2020-04-29T11:54:00ZThe National Academy of Sciences (US) has announced the election of 26 international members in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research, among them ETH physicist Jürg Fröhlich.  X-ray vision through the water windowAndreas Heinz Trabesingerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2020/04/x-ray-vision-through-the-water-window.html2020-04-08T09:10:00ZETH physicists have developed the first high-repetition-rate laser source that produces coherent soft x-rays spanning the entire ‘water window’. That technological breakthrough should enable a broad range of studies in the biological, chemical and material sciences as well as in physics.A twist connecting magnetism and electronic-band topologyAndreas Heinz Trabesingerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2020/04/a-twist-connecting-magnetism-and-electronic-band-topology.html2020-04-03T12:14:00ZMaterials that combine topological electronic properties and quantum magnetism are of high current interest, for the quantum many-body physics that can unfold in them and for possible applications in electronic components. For one such material, ETH physicists have now established the microscopic mechanism linking magnetism and electronic-band topology.Photons and electrons one on oneAndreas Heinz Trabesingerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2020/03/photons-and-electrons-one-on-one.html2020-03-20T13:16:00ZThe dynamics of electrons changes ever so slightly on each interaction with a photon. The group of Prof. Ursula Keller has now measured such interplay in its arguably purest form — by recording the attosecond-scale changes associated with one-photon transitions of an unbound electron.Five new appointmentsAndreas Heinz Trabesingerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2020/03/new-appointments.html2020-03-06T10:12:00ZAt its last meeting, the ETH Board appointed a total of 19 new professors at the request of the President of ETH Zurich, Joël Mesot. Among them are five appointments at the Department of Physics.Where scientists of tomorrow meetRegina Moserhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2020/02/where-tomorrows-scientists-meet.html2020-03-04T09:23:00ZThe “Swiss Young Physicists' Tournament” is a physics competition for young physics enthusiasts from all over Switzerland. Alisa Miloglyadova was recently one of them and, together with the physics teacher Patrik Weber, is now leading a group of twenty new participants to the SYPT Physics Week on the Hönggerberg campus of ETH Zurich. There, scientists offer interested parties a broad insight into the Department of Physics.What a Sun-dayAndreas Heinz Trabesingerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2020/02/what-a-sun-day.html2020-02-14T13:42:00ZLast Sunday night, the Solar Orbiter satellite has been launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, with the mission of capturing unprecedented images of the Sun and providing novel insight into its behaviour. ETH physics professor Louise Harra has been involved over two decades throughout all stages of the project.How to handle fragile statesAndreas Heinz Trabesingerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2020/02/how-to-handle-fragile-states.html2020-02-13T19:00:00ZA concept known as ‘fragile topology’ has been puzzling physicists ever since it emerged two years ago. Two teams, one led by ETH physicists, have now developed a comprehensive theoretical and experimental framework to pin down the essence of the concept — and establish ways how to potentially harness it in applications.A physicist thinks out of the boxRegina Moserhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2020/01/a-physicist-thinks-out-of-the-box.html2020-02-11T14:01:00ZHe built one of the largest modular synthesizers in the world: Joe Paradiso is Professor at the MIT Media Lab in Media Arts and Sciences, and he also plays an important role in the international scene of electronic music. Much of what Joe Paradiso does today started in the 1980ies as a postdoc in the department of physics at ETH Zurich.An international conference – onlineRegina Moserhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2020/01/an-international-conference--online.html2020-01-30T16:00:00ZAbout a thousand researchers worldwide participated in the Photonics Online Meetup POM20. A conference of this size usually involves a huge effort on the part of the organising team to arrange accommodation, transfers and meals and prepare the conference venue for the participants. The time commitment and the cost of travel to the conference are also considerable for most participants. Does an online conference bring advantages?Jonathan Home appointed Full ProfessorAndreas Heinz Trabesingerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2019/12/jonathan-home-appointed-full-professor.html2019-12-13T14:33:00ZAt its meeting of 11/12 December 2019 and upon application of the President of ETH Zurich, Professor Joël Mesot, the ETH Board appointed a total of 19 professors, among them physics professor Jonathan Home.ERC Consolidator Grant for Sebastiano CantalupoAndreas Heinz Trabesingerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2019/12/erc-consolidator-grant-for-sebastiano-cantalupo.html2019-12-10T14:28:00ZFour researchers from ETH Zurich have successfully applied for ERC Consolidator Grants worth EUR 2 million, among them physics professor Sebastiano Cantalupo.A momentous view on the birth of photoelectronsAndreas Trabesingerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2019/12/a-momentous-view-on-the-birth-of-photoelectrons.html2019-12-05T14:29:00ZThe creation of photoelectrons through ionisation is one of the most fundamental processes in the interaction between light and matter. Yet, deep questions remain about just how photons transfer their linear momentum to electrons. With the first sub-femtosecond study of the linear photon momentum transfer during an ionisation process, ETH physicists provide now unprecedented insight into the birth of photoelectrons.Portraits of female physics professorsRegina Moserhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2019/11/portraits-of-female-physics-professors.html2019-11-26T10:00:00ZFrom the International Women’s Day in March 2019 to March 2020, the Office of Equal Opportunities at ETH Zurich “Equal!” is portraying 12 female assistant professors. They work in different fields of research, come from different countries and have different personalities. With their diversity, they enrich ETH Zurich.To study what does not exist yetRegina Moserhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2019/11/to-study-what-does-not-exist-yet.html2019-11-22T14:00:00ZInnovation also means not just treading on well-prepared paths. At ETH Zurich, students from all over the world can apply by 15 December 2019 – and European and Swiss students by 31 March 2020 – for what is probably the world's first Master of Science in Quantum Engineering. The Departments of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering and Physics work closely together for this Master's course, which starts in autumn 2020 for the second time.Discovery of the highest-energy photons from a gamma-ray bursthttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2019/11/discovery-of-the-highest-energy-photons-from-a-gamma-ray-burst.html2019-11-20T18:00:00ZThe observation of a gamma-ray burst by the Major Atmospheric Gamma Imaging Cherenkov (MAGIC) telescopes — an international collaboration in which ETH physicists have a leading role — reveals the highest-energy photons released by such violent explosions reported to date.  Golden Owl to Sascha QuanzAndreas Trabesingerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2019/11/golden-owl.html2019-11-16T22:15:00ZEvery year, the Association of Students at ETH Zurich (VSETH) honours on ETH Day lecturers who have provided exceptional teaching with the &quot;Golden Owl&quot;. For courses in the Departments of Physics, the award goes this year to Sascha Quanz.Honorary doctorate awarded to Evelyn HuAndreas Heinz Trabesingerhttps://www.phys.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-phys-news/2019/11/honorary-doctorate-awarded-to-evelyn-hu.html2019-11-16T21:13:00ZOn this year's ETH Day, Evelyn Hu, Professor of Applied Physics and Electrical Engineering at Harvard University, has been awared a honorary doctorate of ETH Zurich, at the request of the Department of Physics.