20 Years of MIN Faculty - Symposium

Friday 10 Oct 2025, 09:00 → 19:00 Europe/Berlin

Kai Jensen, Maria Latos

Symposium: 20 Years of MIN Faculty 

We are delighted to invite you to the MIN Faculty 20-Year Anniversary Symposium, a special event marking two decades of groundbreaking research, academic excellence, and interdisciplinary collaboration at the Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences (MIN) at the University of Hamburg.

This symposium is a central part of our anniversary celebration and brings together researchers and partners to  explore future challenges and opportunities across the MIN disciplines.

Structured around three core thematic areas — MIN Life Science, MIN Materials, and MIN Quantum Science and Technologies — the symposium offers a platform to share ideas, showcase research, and strengthen connections between diverse scientific fields.

Our goal is to promote dialogue and collaboration across disciplines, foster new partnerships, and inspire innovative approaches. Whether you are an early-career researcher, an established academic, your perspective is valuable in shaping the future of the MIN Faculty.

We warmly invite you to take part in this exciting event, contribute to the exchange of knowledge, and celebrate 20 years of shared curiosity, creativity, and discovery.

Conference Chairs

MIN Life Science: Tobias Lenz, Arne Weiberg (Biology); Zoya Ignatova (Chemistry); William Foster (Earth System Sciences); Wolfgang Parak (Physics)

MIN Materials: Linnea Hesse (Biology); Lisa Vondung, Nadja-Carola Bigall (Chemistry);  Dorota Koziej, Ralf Riedinger (Physics); Winnifried Wollner (Mathematics)

MIN Quantum Science and Technologies: Tim Wehling (Physics), Tobias Dyckerhoff (Mathematics); Sören Laue (Informatics); Dieter Jaksch (Physics)

Conference Office

Maria Latos 
Office of the Dean
Communication & Cooperations
Mail: kommunikation.min@uni-hamburg.de
Phone: +49 40 42838 8109

Site map.pdf

Plenary Session: Welcome and introduction - DESY Auditorium (Building 5)

1 Introduction MIN Life Science: Life - Earth - Climate

• The core of Life Sciences: Understanding complex biological systems
• The bridges of life sciences to global challenges: climate, health, food, materials

Speaker: Kai Jensen

2 Introduction MIN Materials of the Future

TBC

Speakers: Dorota Koziej (University of Hamburg), Linnea Hesse (Universität Hamburg)

3 Introduction MIN Quantum Science and Technologies

TBC

10:00 Coffee break - CSSB, CFEL, ZOQ

Life Sciences: Session Block 1 (Click here for detailed programme)

Chair: Baris Tursun

4 Translational Lens of Gene Expression

tbc

Speaker: Zoya Ignatova

5 Hamburg School of Food Science – Food and Material Profiling

TBC

Speaker: Prof. Markus Fischer (Department of Chemistry, University of Hamburg)

6 Permafrost-Affected Ecosystems Alter the Carbon-Climate Feedback

TBC

Speaker: Christian Beer (Universität Hamburg)

7 The Journey of Small RNAs: Systemic and Interorganismal Signalling in Plants

Small RNAs (sRNAs), including microRNAs (miRNAs) and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), play central roles in regulating gene expression in plants. Beyond their local activity, many sRNAs are mobile, moving between cells and over long distances to coordinate developmental programs and environmental responses, establishing them as systemic signalling molecules. Recent research has also established sRNAs as important interorganismal information transmitters, mediating the interaction between plants and pathogenic or beneficial microbes.
It is a matter of debate how selective and regulated the process of sRNA transport is. It is also not well understood how sRNA transport functions. There is good evidence that RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) facilitate mobility while also stabilizing sRNAs. Stability during transport is further supported by their association with Argonaute proteins, biomolecular condensates, or membrane-surrounded extracellular vesicles.
Understanding sRNA transport has broad implications for both basic biology and agricultural biotechnology. By harnessing mobile sRNAs, it may be possible to design strategies for crop protection, nutrient management, and stress resilience. Our interdisciplinary research aims to uncover principles of sRNA selectivity, stability, targeting, and functional outcomes combining state-of-the-art molecular, biochemical, biophysical, and computational methods.

Speaker: Julia Kehr (Universität Hamburg)

8 Mass Extinctions and Climate Change

TBC

Speaker: William Foster (Universität Hamburg)

9 Individual Variation in Immunity - A Gateway to Precision Medicine

TBC

Speaker: Tobias Lenz (Universität Hamburg)

MIN Materials: Session Block 1 (Click here for detailed programme)

Chairs Session I: Linnea Hesse & Dorota Koziej
Chairs Session II: Nadja Bigall & Winnifried Wollner

10 The Centre for Ultrafast Imaging (CUI)

The Centre for Ultrafast Imaging (CUI) operates the DFG Cluster of Excellence “Advanced Imaging of Matter”, consisting of partners from UHH, DESY, the Max Planck Institute for Structural Dynamics, and the European XFEL. Together, we aim to understand and manipulate the processes that arise from arrangements of atoms and molecules in different forms of matter. We image quantum processes in atoms, molecules, and condensed matter at the ultimate length and time scales, to investigate ways to control these processes. This allows us to create matter with new functionalities, such as novel quantum materials and designer proteins. We benefit from Hamburg’s exceptional infrastructure, including our suite of light sources, and strong expertise in theoretical and experimental science that spans quantum technologies, ultrafast X-ray science, condensed matter, nanoscience, and macromolecular imaging.

Speaker: Prof. Hanry Chapman (Department of Physics, University of Hamburg)

11 Future Materials for Quantum Technology

Quantum technology holds great promise for information processing, communication and sensing. However, quantum states incredibly are fragile, quickly losing their advantages properties under most circumstances. To get the technology out of the lab, into the real world, extraordinary materials are required, which exhibit robust quantum states - a challenging task, but not impossible: Join me on a walk through the past, present and future UHH-Materials that enable this new technology, and explore the colorful world of artificial crystals capturing quantum light, sound and time.

Speaker: Prof. Ralf Riedinger (Department of Physics, University of Hamburg)

12 Observation of Higgs Modes in Superconductors by Non-Equilibrium Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering

Spontaneous symmetry breaking in the Mexican-Hat potential leads to massless phase modes as low-energy excitations. In superconductors, however, coupling between the charged condensate and the gauge field shifts the phase mode to higher energies,[1] leaving the Higgs mode as the dominant low-energy excitation. The Meissner effect reflects a macroscopic quantum condensate where photons gain mass - an analogy to high-energy physics.[2] The Higgs mode was first observed in superconductors by Sooryakumar and Klein via Raman scattering in 1980, and confirmed in 2014.[3,4] Due to weak light coupling, it remained elusive except in NbSe2, where it couples to a charge density wave (CDW). Over the past two decades, experimental evidence has steadily grown. Notably, Budelmann et al. (2005) and Saichu et al. (2009) observed distinct in-gap features suggestive of collective excitations,[5,6] with later THz studies reinforcing the case for the Higgs mode.[7]
After introducing activities in our Raman lab at CFEL, this talk presents Higgs-mode observations in Bi-2212 using Non-Equilibrium Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering (NEARS).[8] We use a Tsunami Ti:Sapphire laser (1.2 ps, 80 MHz, 802 nm) and a 402 nm probe from SHG for the UT-3 spectrometer.[9] NEARS exploits a soft quench of the Mexican-Hat potential to selectively populate Higgs modes of different symmetries,[10] then probes them via anti-Stokes Raman scattering. This leads to a tunable population inversion, characterized by comparing Stokes and anti-Stokes signals. An emergent in-gap anti-Stokes peak (25 meV) grows with fluence, indicating Higgs mode population, while the Stokes side shows suppressed pair-breaking at approx. 60 meV, confirming the superconducting state 3 ps post-pump.
Our results, interpreted via Ginzburg-Landau theory and a BCS weak-coupling model, link Higgs mode energy to Cooper-pair coherence length. Phonon-subtracted susceptibilities match well with microscopic theory, notably avoiding the A1g problem at 3.1 eV photon energy.[11] NEARS thus emerges as a powerful tool for Higgs spectroscopy in quantum condensates, with broad implications for superconductivity research, including light-induced, interface, and topological effects.

References
[1] Anderson, P., Phys. Rev. 110, 827 – 835 (1958).
[2] Varma, C. M., Journal of Low Temperature Physics 126, 901 – 909 280 (2002).
[3] Sooryakumar, R. & Klein, M. V., Phys. Rev. Lett. 45, 660– 662 (1980).
[4] Littlewood, P. & Varma, C., Phys. Rev. B 26, 4883– 4893 (1982).
[5] Budelmann, D. et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 057003 (2005).
[6] Saichu, R. P. et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 177004 (2009).
[7] Shimano, R. & Tsuji, N., Annu. Rev. Condens. Matter Phys. 11, 103– 124 (2020).
[8] T.E. Glier et al, Nature Communications, Nat Commun 16, 7027 (2025).
[9] Schulz, B. et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 76, 073107 (2005).
[10] Schwarz, L. et al., Nat Commun 11, 287 (2020).
[11] Devereaux, T. P. & Einzel, Phys. Rev. B 51, 16336 – 16357 (1995).

Speaker: Tomke Glier (Universität Hamburg)

13 Whispers in the WAVEs: Decoding Campus Vibrations with Distributed Acoustic Sensing

The WAVE initiative at Hamburg’s Science City Bahrenfeld brings together physicists, geophysicists, and engineers from the University of Hamburg, Helmut-Schmidt University, DESY and EuXFEL.
We have developed a dense seismic sensor network by using fiber-optic sensing technology to tap into telecommunication fiber. With this, we record both anthropogenic and natural vibrations and study their coupling into large-scale, high-precision research infrastructures limited by such disturbances.

Our applications range from fundamental physics, including gravitational wave detection, to monitoring changes in the urban subsurface driven by hydrological and thermal dynamics.

I will highlight how WAVE connects to materials. First, how we can help improve the precision of EuXFEL by monitoring vibrations and deformations in accelerator structures. And second, how we can advance Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) by embedding fiber-optic sensors in building materials and structures to detect subtle changes indicating damage or material fatigue.

Speaker: Celine Hadziioannou (University of Hamburg)

14 CHyN Cleanroom - a platform for interdisciplinary micro and nano fabrication

The CRR cleanroom at the bahrenfeld Campus, managed jointly by UHH, DESY and MPI, is a versatile platform, where users can access a variety of rooms for patterning at the micro and nanoscale. These include laser, optical and electron-beam lithography, thin film deposition, dry and wet etching,etc. The platform is used by groups in different research fields, such as the development of new materials, energy harvesting, bio-nano-physics, optics or quantum physics.

Speaker: Dr Irene Fernandez-Cuesta (UHH)

Quantum Science & Technologies: Session Block 1 (Click here for detailed programme)

15 RYMAX & Quantum Computation

TBC

Speaker: Klaus Sengstock (Universität Hamburg, Germany)

16 The vast theoretical and experimental program in the connection with particle physics, dark matter and gravitational waves

TBC

Speaker: Prof. Geraldine Servant (Department of Physics, University of Hamburg)

17 Quantum material emulation via atom-by-atom assembly

With the tip of a scanning tunnel microscope as a tool, atoms can be assembled into one (1D)- or two-dimensional (2D) lattices on solid material surfaces (1,2). Simultaneously their spin-resolved spectral functions can be measured one atom at a time (3,4). Combining spin-carrying transition metal or rare earth atomic lattices with different substrates such as normal metals (2,4-7), semiconductors (8), or superconductors (9), the hybrid systems emulate a vast variety of quantum materials. Their parameters can be widely tuned by the choice of lattice and atom species, the substrates' material and surface orientation, and the resulting topology. Thereby, these systems can be directly compared to and used for the optimization of simulation methods ranging from DMRG (10) over NRG (11), and tight binding models (12-15), to ab-initio based advanced many-body theories (6,8,11) and KKR methods (2,7,16,17) solving the Kohn-Sham-Dirac-BdG equations (18). I will review our research on such artificial spin arrays conducted in the scanning probe methods group of the MIN faculty over the past 20 years (3) involving our fruitful collaborations with different theory groups. We started with quasiclassical spin Hamiltonians along with isotropic (Heisenberg) (2), Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (10), and symmetric anisotropic (17) RKKY-type exchange contributions to demonstrate proof-of-principle realizations of spintronic devices (5,8,16,17). More recently, we have utilized superconducting substrates to exploit competing Kondo and Cooper pairing interactions (9,11). Thereby, we have realized p-wave pairing correlations in 1D manganese chains coupled to elemental niobium (12) aiming at the emulation of the Kitaev chain Hamiltonian and the predicted Majorana edge modes (13,18). Finally, we implemented minimal-invasive non-local detection schemes for such fragile quantum states (14,15). I will finish with a prospect of future research directions towards spatially-, spin- and time-resolved spectroscopy and van der Waals materials.
Latest work was supported by the Cluster of Excellence 'Advanced Imaging of Matter' (EXC 2056 - project ID 390715994) of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) and by the DFG - project WI 3097/4-1 (project No. 543483081).
(1) D.-J. Choi , N. Lorente, JW, K. von Bergmann, A. F. Otte, and A. J. Heinrich, Rev. Mod. Phys. 91, 041001 (2019).
https://doi.org/10.1103/RevModPhys.91.041001
(2) A. Khajetoorians, JW, B. Chilian, S. Lounis, S. Blügel, and R. Wiesendanger, Nat. Phys. 8, 497 (2012).
https://www.nature.com/articles/nphys2299
(3) JW, A. Wachowiak, F. Meier, D. Haude, T. Foster, M. Morgenstern, and R. Wiesendanger, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 75, 4871 (2004).
https://pubs.aip.org/aip/rsi/article/75/11/4871/351594/A-300-mK-ultra-high-vacuum-scanning-tunneling
(4) F. Meier, L. Zhou, JW, and R. Wiesendanger, Science 320, 82 (2008).
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1154415
(5) A. Khajetoorians, JW, B. Chilian, and R. Wiesendanger, Science 332, 1062 (2011).
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1201725
(6) A. Khajetoorians, M. Valentyuk, M. Steinbrecher, T. Schlenk, A. Shick, J. Kolorenc, A. I. Lichtenstein, T. O. Wehling, R. Wiesendanger, and JW, Nat. Nanotechnol. 10, 958 (2015).
https://www.nature.com/articles/nnano.2015.193
(7) M. Steinbrecher, A. Sonntag, M. dos Santos Dias, M. Bouhassoune, S. Lounis, JW, R. Wiesendanger, and A. Khajetoorians, Nat. Commun. 7, 10454 (2016).
https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms10454
(8) A. Khajetoorians, B. Chilian, JW, S. Schuwalow, F. Lechermann, and R. Wiesendanger, Nature 467, 1084 (2010).
https://www.nature.com/articles/nature09519
(9) R. Lo Conte, JW, S. Rachel, D. Morr, and R. Wiesendanger, Riv. Nuovo Cim. 47, 453 (2025).
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40766-024-00060-1
(10) M. Steinbrecher, R. Rausch, K. T. That, J. Hermenau, A. Khajetoorians, M. Potthoff, R. Wiesendanger, and JW, Nat. Commun. 9, 2853 (2018).
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-05364-5
(11) A. Kamlapure, L. Cornils, R. Žitko, M. Valentyuk, R. Mozara, S. Pradhan, J. Fransson, A. I. Lichtenstein, JW, and R. Wiesendanger, Nano Lett. 21, 16 (2021).
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.nanolett.1c00387
(12) L. Schneider, P. Beck, T. Posske, D. Crawford, E. Mascot, S. Rachel, R. Wiesendanger, and JW, Nat. Phys. 17, 943 (2021).
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41567-021-01234-y
(13) L. Schneider, P. Beck, J. Neuhaus-Steinmetz, L. Rózsa, T. Posske, JW, and R. Wiesendanger, Nat. Nanotechnol. 17, 384 (2022).
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41565-022-01078-4
(14) L. Schneider, K. That Ton, I. Ioannidis, J. Neuhaus-Steinmetz, T. Posske, R. Wiesendanger, and JW, Nature 621, 60 (2023).
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06312-0
(15) K. Ton That, C. Xu, I. Ioannidis, L. Schneider, T. Posske, R. Wiesendanger, D. K. Morr, and JW, arXiv:2410.16054 [cond-mat.supr-con].
https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2410.16054
(16) J. Hermenau, J. Ibañez-Azpiroz, Chr. Hübner, A. Sonntag, B. Baxevanis, K. T. Ton, M. Steinbrecher, A. Khajetoorians, M. dos Santos Dias, S. Blügel, R. Wiesendanger, S. Lounis, and JW, Nat. Commun. 8, 642 (2017).
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-017-00506-7
(17) J. Hermenau, S. Brinker, M. Marciani, M. Steinbrecher, M. dos Santos Dias, R. Wiesendanger, S. Lounis, and JW, Nat. Commun. 10, 2565 (2019).
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-10516-2
(18) B. Nyári, P. Beck, A. Lászlóffy, L. Schneider, K. Palotás, L. Szunyogh, JW, B. Újfalussy, and L. Rózsa, Phys. Rev. B Accepted (2025).
https://journals.aps.org/prb/accepted/3e07cK88Qf81e70ed9ad2065e47f5e09476d83482

Speaker: Jens Wiebe (Universität Hamburg)

18 Ultrafast manipulation of quantum matter

TBC

Speaker: Prof. Francesca Calegari (Department of Physics, University of Hamburg)

19 Superconducting microwave cavities for high frequency gravitational wave searches

High frequency gravitational waves could carry unique information about the early universe and physics beyond the standard model. However, measuring these elusive signals requires dramatic technology, such as superconducting microwave cavities, which are highly efficient resonators. I will introduce a gravitational wave detector based on such a cavity and explain how it could evade standard quantum limits to reach the necessary sensitivities in the future.

Speaker: Tom Krokotsch (Department of Physics, University of Hamburg)

12:00 Lunch Break, DESY Foyer (Building 5)

Poster Presentation, DESY Foyer (Building 5)

Life Sciences: Session Block 2

Chair: Baris Tursun

20 Demystifying the mechanics of protein function

TBC

Speaker: Prof. Helen Ginn (Department of Physics, University of Hamburg / Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, DESY)

21 Species-Specific Aspects in Eukaryotic mRNA Translation Modulation and their Implications in Diseases

TBC

Speaker: Yaser Hashem (Universität Hamburg, MIN-Fakultät, Fachbereich Chemie, Institut für Biochemie und Molekularbiologie)

22 Ubiquitin’s Double Edge: Proteostasis at the Crossroads of Life and Death during Infection

TBC

Speaker: Prof. Marco Trujillo (Department of Biology, University of Hamburg)

23 Functional Ecology as a Tool for Predicting Ecosystem Responses to Climate Change

Ecosystems influence global climate and can lead to an acceleration or deceleration of climate change. As climate change continues almost unregulated, reliable predictions about the feedback of ecosystems to global changes are becoming increasingly urgent. At the same time, however, we still have difficulty simplifying the complexity and diversity of ecosystems in such a way that the information can be reliably reflected in calculated predictions. In functional ecology, we categorize the role of species in ecosystems based on the relationship between functional characteristics and ecosystem processes, thus enabling the use of categorized information in models. In my Heisenberg research project, I focus on the mycorrhizal symbiosis between tree roots and fungi as possible functional grouping of tree flora. Most tree species are associated with either arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi or ectomycorrhizal fungi, which supply their hosts with mineral nutrients in exchange for carbon. Since the two types of mycorrhiza differ fundamentally in their nutrient balance, mycorrhizal type represents a possible grouping that is relevant for the carbon cycle and nutrient binding in forests. In my presentation, I will (i) derive the significance of the mycorrhizal type as functional grouping for understanding biogeochemical cycles in forests under climate change, (ii) present some findings on the influence of mycorrhization on biodiversity effects in temperate and tropical forests, and (iii) discuss open knowledge gaps on biotic interactions and their role in ecosystem-climate feedbacks.

Speaker: Prof. Ina Christin Meier (Universität Hamburg)

24 Breaking Fat: Targeting Lipid Trafficking for Host-Directed Therapies Against Mycobacteria

TBC

Speaker: Caroline Barisch (CSSB)

25 UHH Core Research Area Inflammation, Infection and Immunity: Joint efforts of MIN and partners

TBC

Speaker: Prof. Kay Grünewald (Department of Chemistry, University of Hamburg)

MIN Materials: Session Block 2

Chairs Session I: Linnea Hesse & Dorota Koziej
Chairs Session II: Nadja Bigall & Winnifried Wollner

26 BlueMat: Water-Driven Materials

Biological materials achieve an exquisite diversity and functionality through just a small number of abundant chemical elements. While engineering materials primarily use specific, often unsustainable, chemical compositions to realize their functions, nature achieves unparalleled functionality through optimized architectures that span multiple length scales. Water, with its ubiquity and unique structural dynamics, plays a pivotal role as a “working fluid” in shaping the properties and functionality of nature’s materials. Inspired by these marvels of nature, BlueMat will develop a novel class of sustainable, interactive, architected “Blue Materials” deriving their functionality from multiscale structures of hard matter interacting with water. This approach is internationally unique. We will mimic natural processes such as water-driven mechanical actuation, capillarity-driven water transport, humidity-dependent colors, and photocatalytic water splitting, as observed in animals and plants, and extend them to functionalities not found in nature, such as control of acoustic and electromagnetic waves, tunable thermal emission and electrical energy storage and generation. To this end, we will study and exploit novel effects, achieved, for example, through nanoconfinement of water. We will combine experiments with imaging and modeling from the atomic up to the device scale and bridge the gap between top-down and bottom-up fabrication methods to enable scalable production of Blue Materials. BlueMat raises and answers compelling and fundamentally new scientific questions. It promises a radically new concept to functionalize materials, and it will demonstrate the fascinating opportunities of this approach by a host of device-level applications. These include novel energy efficient windows and hydrovoltaic power generation, harvesting electrical energy from environmental processes or waste heat.

Speaker: Patrick Huber (TUHH/ DESY)

27 Plants as Architects: Lessons for Multifunctional, Stimuli-Responsive Materials

Plants are hierarchically organized porous material systems with multiple functions that are intricately driven by water transport and distribution. The interplay between material composition, structural organization, and emergent function in plants offers powerful design principles for the development of next-generation technical material systems. By translating these biological strategies, biomimetic approaches enable the development of multifunctional, autonomously responding devices that extend beyond biology by leveraging responsiveness not only to water but also to diverse external cues such as thermal, pneumatic, solar, or electrical stimuli. Unlocking these possibilities requires advances in material synthesis, precise characterization, and scalable manufacturing methods capable of reproducing hierarchical and functionalized structures from the nano- to the device level.
On the example of exploding fruits and water conductive tissues, this talk highlights recent progress in bio-inspired material research, demonstrating how insights from life sciences can fuel innovation in material systems with life-like adaptive functions. The aim is to stimulate interdisciplinary collaboration within the MIN Materials pillar and inspire synergistic projects that bridge biology and materials science to develop next-generation bio-inspired technical material systems.

Speaker: Linnea Hesse (Universität Hamburg)

28 Environmentally Benign Catalysts for Sustainable Chemistry: The Potential of Polyoxometalates

Modern chemical production still depends heavily on fossil resources such as oil, gas, and coal. These raw materials have enabled the development of fuels, plastics, and countless everyday products. Yet, if we want to build a more sustainable future, we must replace fossil feedstocks with renewable alternatives such as biomass or carbon dioxide. This shift is not straightforward: renewable raw materials differ in composition and structure, which means that many established processes cannot be applied directly. To make use of these new resources, we must redesign chemical processes from the ground up — and this includes developing new catalyst materials.
Catalysts are the hidden drivers of chemistry. They make reactions faster, more efficient, and less energy demanding. My research focuses on a special class of catalysts called polyoxometalates (POMs). These are molecular clusters composed of metal and oxygen atoms. What makes them exciting is their flexibility: they can be built in many different shapes and modified by including a variety of different elements. Because of this, POMs can be adapted to perform a wide range of useful reactions that are relevant for sustainable chemistry.
In my work, I develop methods to synthesize and study new types of POMs for specific catalytic applications. By carefully changing their composition and structure, I investigate how these changes affect their ability to promote chemical reactions. I will present examples where POM-based catalysts show potential in processes that could one day help us use renewable raw materials more efficiently and with fewer unwanted by-products.
This work is part of the broader efforts of the Albert research group, which is dedicated to designing chemical processes that are cleaner, more efficient, and better aligned with the principles of sustainability and green chemistry.
Looking ahead, our vision is to move beyond trial-and-error approaches towards rational design of catalysts — using insights from synthesis, advanced measurements, and theoretical modelling to predict and create the “right” catalyst for a given sustainable process. Through collaboration across chemistry and related fields, we aim to show how new material like POMs can help redefine chemical production in a more sustainable way.

Speaker: Dr Maximilian J. Poller (Universität Hamburg)

29 Mathematical Optimization for Material Science

In this talk we will highlight some recent research highlights in
mathematical optimization with applications to material science.
Topics range from free material optimization for the design of
optimal macroscopic material properties to shape optimization
approaches for the microscale design of meta materials with desired macroscopic properties.

Speaker: Winnifried Wollner (Universität Hamburg)

30 -Element Coordination Chemistry: Tuning Properties, Reactivity and Recycling

The f-elements (lanthanoids and actinoids) possess a variety of properties which make them invaluable or promising for a variety of applications, such as in electronics, optics or as catalysts. However, a thorough understanding on how to tune these properties on the molecular level is often lacking. This talk will highlight our approach towards a more rational design of new f-element compounds.

Speaker: Lisa Vondung (Universität Hamburg)

Quantum Science & Technologies: Session Block 2

31 A Tale of Quantum Computation and Categorification

Quantum topology is the branch of mathematics that connects entanglement in quantum mechanics with topological entanglement in low-dimensional topology, such as the knotting, tangling, and linking of strings in 3d space. At its core lie Artin’s braid groups, algebraic structures that capture the rules of intertwining strands. These same structures underpin topological quantum computation, where braids guide the motion of quasiparticles in 2d, and quantum information is stored in global topological features that make it resistant to local errors. Pushing further, categorification lifts these algebraic ideas to higher-dimensional structures, allowing us to track the movements of strings in 4d and uncover hidden symmetries. Along the way, surprising bridges emerge to both physics and computer science. I will illustrate these themes through an accessible mathematical example.

Speaker: Paul Wedrich (Universität Hamburg)

32 Linear Logic in Three Dimensions

Connectives like “and” and “or” allow us to construct sentences—whether in natural language, formal logic, or programming. In classical logic, variables within these sentences can be freely copied or discarded. However, when variables represent resources—such as quantum information—that freedom is no longer appropriate. This has motivated linear logic, a resource-sensitive refinement of classical logic.

Linear logic has models in category theory, some of which have recently been shown to arise from two-dimensional quantum field theories. I will show that calculations and proofs in these categorical models can be carried out using a rigorous three-dimensional graphical language, supported by the computer implementation homotopy.io.

Speaker: Max Demirdilek (Universität Hamburg)

33 Quantum Gravity and Geometry

Understanding the principles of quantum gravity is undoubtedly among the most important challenges for fundamental physics in the 21st century. Modern mathematics can guide the way towards uncovering such principles, especially in the context of string theory, and at the same time receives new inspiration from physics insights into quantum gravity. I will exemplify this cross-fertilisation of mathematics and fundamental physics in the context of moduli spaces of quantum gravity theories near their weak coupling regime.

Speaker: Prof. Timo Weigand (Universität Hamburg)

34 A tour of 6d UV-complete Field Theories and their Protected Sectors

In the absence of gravity, field theories in six dimensions can be UV-completed to either Superconformal Field Theories (SCFTs) or Little String Theories (LSTs) and can be geometrically engineered from string theory. Large classes of these theories can furthermore be understood as deformations of a few "parents" through a network of Renormalisation Group flows. After reviewing some of their properties, I will show that certain protected quantities can be obtained solely in terms of group theory, without ever needing to refer to the geometric construction. For LSTs, this greatly simplifies the search for classes of theories that are related by T-duality.

Speaker: Florent Baume (Universität Hamburg)

35 Physics and Geometry of Patterns in Quantum Gravity

Despite the huge number of different consistent low-energy effective gravitational theories that arise from string theory, there appear to be ubiquitous patterns in all such theories, which encode fundamental properties of quantum gravity. In additon, unraveling such patterns often involves a fascinating interplay between physics and geometry. In this talk, we will discuss a particular instance based in recent developments in the context of the Emergent String Conjecture.

Speaker: Jeroen Monnee (Universität Hamburg)

36 Infinite Distance Limits and Emergent Structures in Supersymmetric Conformal Manifolds

Conformal Field Theories serve as a cornerstone in theoretical physics, playing essential roles in the study of quantum field theory, string theory, statistical systems, and holography. When these theories admit exactly marginal couplings, they organize themselves into families described by conformal manifolds—moduli spaces endowed with rich geometric structures. Understanding these spaces provides a non-perturbative window into strongly coupled regimes of quantum field theories especially in four dimensions with supersymmetry.

This talk focuses on exploring the local and global structure of these conformal manifolds, with a particular emphasis on infinite distance limits in 4D Superconformal Field Theories. We aim to investigate the emergence of higher spin operators, tensionless strings, and the connections to the Swampland Distance Conjecture. The analysis combines conformal field theory techniques, representation theory, integrability, and insights from string theory.

Speaker: Fabio Mantegazza (DESY/University of Hamburg)

37 Searching for inflationary regimes in penumbral regions of the moduli space

One of the most compelling questions of string phenomenology is how to find viable inflationary models stemming from string theory. While asymptotic regions of the moduli space have been extensively explored - with limited success - little is known about inflationary dynamics in transitional, or 'penumbral', regions. In this talk, I will focus on the complex structure moduli space of Type IIB string theory compactified over Calabi-Yau three-folds. I will present evidence for flattened scalar potential valleys, which could deliver inflationary trajectories in penumbral regions of the moduli space, and I will illustrate how to obtain families of effective theories hosting such valleys by using machine learning techniques.

Speaker: Stefano Lanza (University of Hamburg)

16:30 Coffe Break

Plenary Session: Synthesis and outlook from the parallel sessions

38 Wrap up: MIN Life Science

39 Wrap up: MIN Materials of the Future

Speakers: Nadja-Carola Bigall (Universität Hamburg), Ralf Riedinger (Universität Hamburg), Winnifried Wollner (Universität Hamburg)

40 Wrap up: MIN Quantum Science and Technologies

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