MPSP Blog

The atmosphere was vibrant at the former industrial site in Berlin: Almost 200 participants came together on October 16 to celebrate the annual Max Planck Schools Day with this year's leading theme "The Role of (Fundamental) Science Amidst a Global (Climate) Crisis". Once again, the day provided fascinating insights into the research of the three Schools, exciting discussions and, above all, the opportunity to get to know each other and get together. more

A conversation with Peter-André Alt and Heiko Knopf: Initially intended as a dialog interview between two “alumni” of the Max Planck Schools, the conversation between the deputy federal chairman of BÜNDNIS 90/DIE GRÜNEN, Heiko Knopf, and the chairman of the management board of the Wübben Foundation for Science, Peter-André Alt, quickly developed into a lively discourse with a stirring dynamic of its own. The variety of topics ranged from Thomas Mann and the social responsibility of science to the role of a Post-It that proved very helpful for Heiko Knopf’s successful PhD thesis. more

Summer is over and the winter semester is just around the corner. The best time for our Autumn School! We started and ended this year at the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Light in Erlangen. During the week we were in Nuremberg and our PhD candidates had the chance to expand their knowledge and gain new insights in workshops and lectures. The programme was rounded off by social activities such as the culture food exchange evening or a treasure hunt. more

On May 11 and 12, we had the pleasure of having a two days joint event in Göttingen, bringing together some of the students of the MPSP (Max Planck School of Photonics) and MPS MtL. This event was a fantastic opportunity for our schools to meet, share knowledge, and explore each other's science labs. more

But what is a Location Visit? Location Visits are for study phase students, organized by the student representatives. The students get the chance to get to know the different labs in our partner institutes and universities and get scientific insights into the research groups of our Fellows. During the last two years our PhD candidates in the Study Phase visited Jena, Karlsruhe, Erlangen and Munich. more

Schnacken & Schietwedder
Moin, Moin from Hamburg! At the end of March, not even a train strike or the varied Hamburg weather could stop us from holding this year's Spring School. In addition to the Student Conference, which took place for the first time, our PhD students had the opportunity to exchange ideas with each other, but also to discover Hamburg during our Social Afternoon. This year’s Spring School ended with lectures by our Fellows and guided tours on the DESY premises. more

Personal conversations, pitches and lots of fun
Networking, working together and hiking are only a few words that describe this year's Autumn School. After the Spring School could already take place in person again, we were even happier when we the Autumn School could take place in person, too. more

Scientists, students, and companies were taking part in the career and networking event, organized by the Fraunhofer Institute of Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF in cooperation with the Max Planck School of Photonics.
A total of 18 nationalities were represented at the event, thus enabling a lively exchange of knowledge and culture. The participants came primarily from Germany, Mexico, and India.
We have selected the highlights for you and hope to see you next year (again).
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"Science has always been building bridges" - this quote of our MPSP speaker Gerd Leuchs at the fireside evening of the MPSP Spring School actually referred to the role of science in times of crisis. However, it is also a perfect headline for the recap of this great event. Our PhD candidates and Fellows have once again shown how quickly bridges can be built between research fields, institutions and nationalities if a common passion for science is shared. more

Diversity in Teams fosters creativity, productivity and more complex thinking (Antonio, 2004; Nathan & Lee, 2013). Yet research teams in photonics are only slowly becoming more diverse – but why? Are differences attracting each other, also in a scientific context, or do similar minds work better together after all? Our event series wants to take a closer look at diversity in science, and offer a platform to address the strengths and challenges of diverse teams. more

Almost five years of research on "Polarization control in femtosecond-laser directly written waveguides" finally paid off for former MPSP PhD candidate Kim Lammers: At the beginning of 2022, she defended her thesis with top marks! We caught up with her the very next day for an interview to find out more about what this feels like and what tips she has for those at the beginning of their dissertation. more

The MPSP was launched in 2018 - which means our first PhD students have already completed their doctorates. We asked our alumnus Dr. Jonas Hammer what tips he has for those who are just starting with their PhD and how he benefited from the Max Planck School of Photonics.  more

A research team including MPSP alumnus Dr. Heiko Knopf and Fellow Dr. Falk Eilenberger recently published a scientific article in the prestigious journal Nature Communications. Heiko now told us in an interview, what eyeglasses have to do with quantum communication and why this might shape future Photonics research. more

An evil scientist is planning an attack on the Physics Nobel Prize ceremony - and only you can stop him. To do that, you will have to use all your puzzle-solving skills and Photonics knowledge. Read in this article about our creative Escape Room idea which won the community prize of the BMBF. more

Tomoko Koda and Tzu-Huan Lin are the Learning Designers of the Max Planck School of Cognition and Photonics. Their job is to make the schools’ teaching and learning format as engaging and effective as  possible. For this, they have been supporting the Flipped Classroom model which this article will talk about.  more

Workshops, science and career insights – the Photonics Days 2021 had it all. Over 500 participants from all over the world took part in the network event of the Fraunhofer IOF and the Max Planck School of Photonics this year. We have summarized the highlights for you here. more

For almost two years, Fellows and doctoral candidates of the Max Planck School of Photonics were only able to network virtually due to the corona pandemic. So all participants were looking forward to our MPSP Autumn School in Suhl this year. In this recap, you’ll find out what was going on in the Thuringian Forest and what fish have to do with Photonics. more

Join our free virtual MPSP Lecture Series and get the latest photonics research news from our Fellows. From end of August until November 2022 - (almost) every Wednesday, 5 p.m. CET more

The Max Planck School of Photonics consists of many exciting and research-focused universities and non-university research institutions. One of our main partners is the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering (IOF). In this news article on the general Max Planck Schools website you can get to know it better and learn how MPSP and IOF work together. more

The MPSP Coffee Breaks offer the young photonics community a platform for the exchange of current research and for networking. If you would like to present your Master or PhD research here and get valuable feedback (as well as a MPSP certificate), please just email us: photonics@maxplanckschools.de

There are already many great women in science - but not nearly enough! In photonics in particular, many intelligent young women shy away from a career as a scientist and a PhD. Three of our MPSP PhD candidates have nevertheless dared to step into science and now encouraged other young women in a Panel Discussion. more

Germany is an excellent place for young physics talents to continue their education and obtain a PhD in optics or photonics. We wanted to make this clear at our joint event with the Optical Society (OSA) and the German Academic Exchange Service. Two of our Fellows, Prof. Christine Silberhorn and Prof. Carsten Rockstuhl, give an impression how PhD-life at their research institutions looks like and what you need to become a PhD candidate in Germany. But the insights from Alejandra, who exactly went this way, and Peter Kerrigan, Deputy Director of the DAAD in New York are also very exciting. Just take a look! more

For the virtual Photonics Days Jena 2020 we have asked Dr. Hanieh Fattahi, Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light Erlangen and Fellow of our Max Planck School of Photonics, to give us an interview. In addition to exciting insights into her research, she also had some really good advice for young researchers. Watch the Interview here! more