Max Planck School of Photonics

✨ NEW PUBLICATION | MPSP RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT

Can we make light behave like a crystal — in time? ⏱️💡

A new study in Science Advances explores photonic time crystals — artificial materials whose properties are rapidly modulated in time to control how light propagates.

The team, including MPSP PhD Candidate Puneet Garg, shows that quasi-bound states in the continuum (qBICs) can dramatically enhance the interaction between light and time-varying matter. This makes it possible to achieve wide momentum bandgaps with remarkably small material modulations — bringing photonic time crystals closer to practical realization at optical frequencies. 🔬✨

A fascinating step toward a new generation of time-varying photonic technologies!

📖 Photonic time crystals assisted by quasi-bound states in the continuum
Science Advances
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aed4055



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MPSP Alumni at a Glance: Kim Alina Lammers

🔬 From pioneering research on polarization manipulation in femtosecond laser-written waveguides in fused silica to shaping the future of optics in industry, Kim’s journey highlights the power of curiosity, collaboration, and community.

During her time at MPSP in Jena until 2021, supervised by Prof. Stefan Nolte, she especially valued the interdisciplinary exchange within the MPSP network: “The annual Autumn School gave us a deep dive into each other’s research and broadened my own optics expertise.”

👓️ Today, Kim is an Optical Designer at Jenoptik Optical Systems GmbH, bringing her photonics expertise from academia into industry.

Her advice for current and future MPSP students? Explore beyond your own field, connect with as many people as possible, and make the most of every opportunity—because the conversations you have today might shape the career you build tomorrow.

MPSP Alumni at a Glance: Thea Moosmayer

✨ From cutting-edge research to intellectual property law: MPSP alumna Thea Moosmayer shows how diverse a career in photonics can be.

As a PhD candidate in the lab of Stefan Hell in Göttingen, Thea worked on MINFLUX nanoscopy deep in living brain tissue, pushing the boundaries of optical imaging. Today, she is training as a German and European patent attorney, helping to protect tomorrow’s innovations.

Looking back, one of her highlights at the Max Planck School of Photonics was connecting with other PhD Candidates and researchers during the Spring and Autumn Schools: “I particularly enjoyed the opportunity to interact with others who share my passion for optics and photonics.”

Her advice for current and future MPSP students? 💡
“It's a great opportunity to learn something new and broaden your horizons.”

Whether your future lies in academia, industry, or beyond, MPSP can open doors you may not even know exist yet.

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🔬✨ The Research field of Nanophotonics: Shaping Light at the Nanoscale

What happens when we control light on dimensions thousands of times smaller than a human hair?

Nanophotonics explores how light interacts with structures at the nanometer scale, unlocking entirely new ways to manipulate, guide, and enhance optical signals. From ultra-sensitive biosensors capable of detecting disease biomarkers at an early stage to quantum technologies based on single-photon sources and next-generation optical chips, nanophotonics is driving innovation at the frontier of science and technology.

By engineering matter at the nanoscale, the Fellows and PhD candidates at the Max Planck School of Photonics are creating devices that are smaller, faster, and more efficient than ever before—opening new possibilities for healthcare, communication, computing, and sustainable technologies.



Note: The photos are generated with the help of AI

Our MPSP PhD Candidate Thomas Arne Hensel was awarded the German Thesis Award! Congratulations! 🥳

Thomas Arne Hensel wurde für seine Doktorarbeit in der Abteilung NanoBiophotonik von Nobelpreisträger Stefan Hell an unserem Institut und der Universität Heidelberg mit dem Deutschen Studienpreis der Körber-Stiftung ausgezeichnet – herzlichen Glückwunsch! 👏🎉

In seiner Dissertation entwickelte er innovative lichtmikroskopische Ansätze, um molekulare Dynamik sichtbar zu machen. Durch die Erzeugung spezieller Beleuchtungsmuster gelang es ihm, proteinähnliche Strukturen nicht nur abzubilden, sondern auch deren Bewegung im Zeitverlauf zu verfolgen.

Diese Fortschritte liefern neue Erkenntnisse darüber, wie sich Moleküle im Nanobereich verhalten und miteinander wechselwirken. In Zukunft könnten solche Ansätze Forschern helfen, besser zu verstehen, wie Medikamente auf Proteine wirken und wie es bei Krankheiten wie Krebs zu Therapieresistenzen kommen kann.

An empty hall today. A hub for scientific discovery and young scientific talent tomorrow.

The transformation has begun!

What is now a vast construction site near the Bildungscampus in Heilbronn will become a new home for the Max Planck Schools: a vibrant research environment with state-of-the-art laboratories, a welcoming foyer designed to bring people together, and shared spaces that encourage collaboration. The site will also become a second location to the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research. A place where research, graduate education, and interdisciplinary exchange thrive side by side.

Before construction work will reach full speed, we took the opportunity to capture this moment in time. Standing together in the middle of this enormous space, it was exciting to imagine what will soon emerge here - and to think about the discoveries, ideas, and collaborations it will make possible.

We can’t wait to see this vision take shape and to open a new chapter for us Schools and the MPI for Medical Research in Heilbronn. Soon, this space will be alive with science and curious minds!



Max Planck School of Cognition
Max Planck School Matter to Life
Wissensstadt Heilbronn
Dieter Schwarz Stiftung

©Matt Stark / Max Planck Schools

Explaining Our Research Fields - Part 8

From static images to real-time insights: The Advanced Imaging research field at the Max Planck School of Photonics is advancing photonic technologies that enable clinicians to visualize biological processes as they happen. Innovations such as 4D imaging and real-time MRI provide immediate feedback during medical procedures, supporting greater precision, faster decision-making, and improved patient care. 🔬✨

Learn more about our research topics at https://photonics.maxplanckschools.org/en/research-topics



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MPSP Alumni at a Glance: Franz Roeder

What happens after the Max Planck School of Photonics? For Franz Roeder, one of our alumni, the journey led from groundbreaking research to shaping the future of integrated photonics in industry.

Today, as part of the R&D team at TOPTICA Eagleyard, he is developing advanced packaging solutions for photonic integrated circuits and laser diodes—building on the expertise gained during their PhD.

Looking back, one thing stands out for Franz: the MPSP community. 🤝 The regular spring and autumn meetings, scientific exchange with fellow PhD students, and interdisciplinary environment created opportunities to learn far beyond his own research field.

And the advice for new MPSP students?

✨ Make the most of every networking opportunity.
✨ Connect with researchers across optics and photonics.
✨ Don't underestimate the value of soft-skill courses—they can become some of the most valuable tools throughout your PhD and beyond.

Your research journey is about more than scientific results—it's also about the people you meet, the skills you develop, and the network you build along the way.

🔬✨ Seeing the Invisible: Nanoscopy Beyond the Diffraction Limit

What if you could observe the molecular machinery of life in action? At the Max Planck School of Photonics, our Fellows and PhD candidates are advancing nanoscopy to reveal structures and dynamics far smaller than conventional light microscopes can resolve.

By combining innovative optical concepts with state-of-the-art photonics, nanoscopy makes it possible to visualize cells, proteins, and other nanoscale structures with extraordinary precision. These insights are helping scientists better understand biological processes, improve disease research, and develop the next generation of biomedical technologies.

💡 Every breakthrough image brings us one step closer to answering some of science's biggest questions—from how cells communicate to how diseases develop at the molecular level.

Sometimes, the smallest details lead to the biggest discoveries.

🔬✨

Note: photos are created with the help of AI