The first year’s work by the QUEST excellence cluster –
chances and challenges for Hannover and Lower Saxony

QUEST

A year ago, in October 2007, the Hannover excellence cluster, QUEST (Centre for Quantum Engineering and Space-Time-Research) was established as part of the State and Federal Governments’ excellence initiative. Since then things have moved fast in the Hannover and Lower Saxony scientific community. QUEST brings together six institutes at Leibniz Universität Hannover with five other Lower Saxony research centres to pursue cutting-edge research on the quantum limit. Initially through to 2012, around 250 scientists will be working on refinements to current and future quantum technologies in the fields of quantum engineering, quantum sensors, space-time research and new technologies.

They are seeking answers to the fundamental questions of physics such as the structures and primal forces that shape our universe, but also taking on challenges of applied physics such as the next generation of satellite navigation or global observation systems. The ranks of the QUEST scientists, for example, include developers of the world’s most modern laser.

QUEST coordinator Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Ertmer took stock: "A year of QUEST has generated a tremendous amount of positive energy in the entire Lower Saxony higher education and research community - but QUEST’s energy radiates far beyond Lower Saxony and Germany, as we can judge from the many applications by excellent researchers from all over the world."

Hannover’s Lord Mayor and Chief Executive Stephan Weil commented: "The excellence initiative has shown that extending cross-university joint ventures works well in Hannover. QUEST is a shining example of the excellence and creativity in Hannover as a science location. One objective of the Hannover Science Initiative is that, when the national excellence initiative goes into the next phase, Hannover does even better."

Professor Dr. Karsten Danzmann, QUEST deputy coordinator, added: "Here in Hannover we have top-rank facilities researching single atoms, atom interferometers, atomic quantum sensors, lasers and atomic chronometers, conducting astronomical explorations with gravitational waves or developing global observation and geodesics. This close collaboration between such diverse disciplines will make a decisive contribution to solving scientific questions. We are well on the way to holding our own with comparable international research centres like the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology or Caltech."

Meldung vom 02.10.2008