There was a lot going on at the Open House on the Garching campus. Around 1,000 visitors came to the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics to explore its research and get a glimpse behind the scenes.
For the younger visitors, the day began with a journey into the world of quantum physics. In the packed Herbert Walther Lecture Hall, Dr. Veit Ziegelmaier and Sofie Silbermann performed the fourth episode of the audioplay “Alice in Quantumland”. Afterwards, the lecture programme addressed a broader audience. Moritz Dorband from the PhotonLab introduced visitors to phenomena such as superposition and entanglement, Prof. Mihaela Žigman presented the BIRD-project and its approach to detecting disease through broadband infrared molecular fingerprinting, and Thorsten Naeser explored the intersection of science, photography and artificial intelligence.
Throughout the day, the attoworld-team, together with researchers and colleagues from across the institute, presented its work through lab tours, experiments and information booths. The PhotonLab, led by Dr. Silke Stähler-Schöpf, opened its doors and invited visitors to explore physics for themselves at a range of experiment stations. The lab tours led by Dr. Keyhan Golyari also attracted considerable interest, while photonworld stickers and a button-making station proved especially popular with younger guests.
At the Centre for Advanced Laser Applications (CALA), visitors were able to experience the scale of modern laser research and learn more about one of the largest laser systems at a European university and the opportunities it offers for medicine and fundamental research.
Special thanks go to Nina Beier, Umai Chibbaro Leiva and Sibylle Graf, Dr. Sonja Gerlach and Korbinian Rohrmüller as well as to everyone who contributed to the Open House, from giving talks and guiding visitors through the labs to supervising experiment stations, welcoming guests and providing support behind the scenes. It was the commitment of many helping hands across attoworld, MPQ, PhotonLab and CALA that made it such an engaging and memorable day for our visitors.
Pictures: Sonja Gerlach, Thorsten Naeser, Korbinian Rohrmüller & Christine Wolf
