The second round of the excellence initiative is decided: On Friday the 19th October 2007 has the authorizing committee decided the financing of 21 graduate schools, 20 clusters of excellence, and six Institutional strategies for advancing top-level university research. Among them is the cluster of excellence QUEST of Leibniz Universität Hannover!
QUEST (Centre for Quantum Engineering and Space-Time Research) will concentrate on the advancement of quantum engineering and spacetime research to gain a better understanding of the underlying physics and to improve or utilize resulting innovative methods in fundamental physics and applied fields. Accordingly, the activities of QUEST will focus on four areas of research: Quantum Engineering, Quantum Sensors, Space-Time Physics, and Enabling Technologies. The excellence cluster unites the expertise of the Leibniz Universität Hannover in the fields of quantum optics, condensed matter physics, gravitational physics, theoretical physics, geodesy and mathematics with the competence of excellent partner institutions in its vicinity, namely the Max-Planck-Institute for Gravitational Physics, the gravitational wave detector GEO600, the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt Braunschweig, the Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V., the Centre of Applied Space Technology and Microgravity and excellent industrial partners. Five work groups of LNQE are represented in QUEST: Jan Arlt (IQ), Boris Chichkov (LZH), Wolfgang Ertmer (IQ), Rolf Haug (IFKP), and Michael Oestreich (IFKP). The LNQE-office has intensively assisted on the successful proposal.
More on QUEST: www.quest.uni-hannover.de
Cover of the proposal QUEST.
