The Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging (CUI) is a research facility established in the context of the Universities Excellence Initiative by the German Federal and State Governments.[1] The multidisciplinary and interinstitutional cluster is located at Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany, and has been initiated on 1 November 2012. The funding with more than €25 million by the German Research Foundation[2] will run until 31. December 2018. Scientific teams cooperating in the cluster come from the Universität Hamburg, the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), the European XFEL GmbH (XFEL), the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), and the newly founded Max-Planck-Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter (MPSD). A full application for a second research period of seven years was handed in at the end of 2017 to the German Research Foundation (DFG) for discussion. After the successful application in 2018, the new cluster “CUI: Advanced Imaging of Matter” started in 2019.
Aims
The fundamental research at CUI aims to analyze chemical and physical processes in the field of photon and nano science: About 150 involved scientists investigate the chronological sequence of movements related to reactions and processes at the interface of quantum physics, molecular biology and nanochemistry.
The aim is to watch structural changes of systems in action and draw conclusions about the relation between structure and dynamics and how they facilitate the control of atomic systems. In this respect three research areas are regarded. In the field of "Imaging and Control of Quantum Systems", systems of different size, ranging from small molecules up to volume systems, are investigated with respect to their dynamic quantum mechanical properties, especially regarding their interaction with surrounding light fields. In the second research field "Atomically Resolved Structural Dynamics", CUI regards structural changes of macrobiological and biochemical systems on atomic and temporal levels. In the third topic of research the "Dynamics of Order Formation on the Nanoscale" are investigated.
Prof. Horst Weller, Universität Hamburg, Institute of Physical Chemistry
Prof. Klaus Sengstock, Universität Hamburg, Institute of Laser-Physics
Teachings and Support
A graduate school with an international, interdisciplinary PhD-program is embedded within the cluster of excellence. The school lab "Light and Schools" cooperates with numerous schools in Hamburg and offers the opportunity to explore basic research and modern laser technology outside the classroom. The school lab is supported by the Joachim Herz Foundation.
Prizes and awards
In collaboration with the Joachim Herz Sitftung, CUI awarded the Hamburg Prize for Theoretical Physics, honoring outstanding contributions in the fields of atoms, molecules and quantum optics, as well as condensed matter with a prize-money of €40,000 . In 2018 the prize has been redesigned and for the first time, it is endowed with prize money in the amount of 100 000 euros. It is awarded by the Joachim Herz Stiftung in partnership with the Wolfgang Pauli Centre (WPC) of Universität Hamburg, DESY, and CUI, and honors outstanding contributions to Physics in general. In addition the cluster organizes the Mildred-Dresselhaus Guest Professorship Program with an award including prize-money of 20,000 (senior scientist), respectively €10,000 (junior scientist), in order to recruit designated female scientist to spend a research period in Hamburg as role models for women.
Awardees for the Hamburg Prize for Theoretical Physics
Prof. Dr. Prineha Narang, Harvard University, USA (2021)
Prof. Dr. Jie Shan, Cornell University, USA (2021)
Dr. Benedetta Flebus, Boston College, USA (2022)
Prof. Dr. Olga Smirnova, Max-Born-Institut, Germany (2022)
Prof. Lin X. Chen, Argonne National Laboratory und Northwestern University, USA (2023)
Dr. Liuyan Zhao, University of Michigan, USA (2023)
References
^"First Decisions in the Second Phase of the Excellence Initiative by the German Federal and Stat".
^"Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)".
External links and sources
German Research Foundation (DFG) about the Excellence Initiative
Description of CUI by the Universität Hamburg
Description of CUI by the city state Hamburg
Article: "CUI is officially excellent". Center for Free-Electron Science. 15 June 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2015[permanent dead link]
PIER Helmholtz Graduate School about CUI
Article: "Hamburg physicists successful in Excellence Initiative". European XFEL. 15 June 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2015 Archived 22 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine
CUI Website
Participating Institutions
"Dynamic in realitime". German article: Physik Journal. November 2013. Retrieved 12 May 2015
Article: "Exzellenzcluster The Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging". Lifescience Nord. Retrieved 12 May 2015
Klaus Sengstock
Article: "Hamburger Wissenschaftspreis für Theoretische Physik" awarded to Maciej Lewenstein
Article on ChemPhysChem: 2015 ACS National Awards November 2013 for Shaul Mukamel. 12 May 2015. Retrieved 15 June 2015
Physics Today Post on Facebook about Chris Greene. 27. August 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2015
Article: "Antoine Georges: Theorist of Condensed Matter". CNSR international magazine. Retrieved 15 June 2015
German Article: "40,000 Euro for Achievements for Antoine Georges in Theoretical Physics". 13 November 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2015
German Article: "Prof. Ignacio Cirac wird ausgezeichnet". 25 September 2015. Retrieved 14 November 2015
Tamar Seidemann
Rosario González Férez
Article: "Guest professorship at Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging for Anouk Rijs". Radboud University. 20 November 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2015
Roseanne Sension
About the graduate school by the German Academic Exchange Service - DAAD[permanent dead link]
Joachim Herz Foundation
Article: "Elspeth Garman awarded prestigious Guest Professorship in Hamburg". 21 January 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2016
German article about the Excellence Strategy: "Erste Entscheidungen in der Exzellenzstrategie". Retrieved 15 November 2017