Insights into our Fellows research and motivations: Michael Kues

A series of interviews

In today's interview, we talked to our Fellow Prof. Dr. Michael Kues, a professor at the Leibniz University Hanover and the scientific director of the city's Laser Centre.
During the interview, Prof. Dr. Michael Kues provided insights into his research and motivations, as well as explaining why we are now living in the “century of the photon”

Could you explain the main focus of your research in photonics and what initially drew you to this area of study? 

My main area of research in photonics is integrated quantum photonics. We are developing quantum photonic systems for different applications in sensing and quantum key distribution. What drove me there was actually how quantum mechanics can make a difference in applications, and how quantum mechanics behave

As a fellow, what has been your biggest challenge in the MPSP and how did you overcome it?

Right now, we are facing several challenges in scaling up integrated photonics systems to make them more scalable. This is something that we are challenging, that we are facing now and we are trying to find solutions for that.

 Collaboration plays a major role in research. What has been your most rewarding collaborative experience, and how has this experience affected in your work?

Although I am more of an expert on the experimental side, the most rewarding collaborations were always with theorists, working together to develop solutions for experimentalists. We did for example develop a theory that enabled us to measure a quantum state that was inaccessible before. This was only possible through the collaboration.

What are some of the most surprising or unexpected applications of photonics that you have encountered in your research or studies?

I have seen many of them and I find them all very interesting, because you can apply photonics to many different things: information processing, internet is being enabled by that, you can use it for sensing. You can even use photonics for material processing, for example with laser systems and printing on the moon*. So, there are many different applications. I don't know which one is the most surprising. Any new application is surprising, but there are so many that I don't know which one is the most surprising. This century is basically the century of the photon, whereas the last century was the century of the electron. It will be applicable everywhere.

What advice would you give to students or early career researchers, aspiring to make an impact in the field of photonics, and how can they stay motivated through challenges?

Find the unexpected, the unexpected effects, applications, … this will then help to establish oneself in the field.

How does your research at the Max Planck School of Photonics differ from your previous experience in photonics? And what unique opportunities have you found here? 

What I find very interesting are all these networking events, and the structure that is given for Master and PhD students

Looking ahead, what excites you most about the future of photonics, and where do you hope your research will take you in the next few years?

What is most exciting is actually the variety of application fields. I think that, in the future, photonics will have an impact on information processing to actually support the scalability of artificial intelligence and make it more energy efficient. I think this is the direction where the future is heading. 

Thank you very much for the interview!