The photonworld homepage is an initiative of the attoworld team at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics (MPQ) and the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich). Initiator of the project is Prof. Ferenc Krausz, Chair of Experimental Physics at LMU and Director at MPQ.

editorial staff

Thorsten Naeser
project leader and editor

I have been passionate about science journalism since undertaking an internship in the science section of the Münchner Merkur newspaper as a student. Following my geography studies, I worked for ten years as a freelance science journalist and photographer. Since 2008, I have worked in PR for the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics and Ludwig Maximilians University, conveying news about laser research to the curious general public. I lead the photonworld editorial team. A Munich native, I love to explore this city on my bike.

Dennis Luck
designer and art director

As designer and art director, I give photonworld its face. Before I came to the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics, I worked on many exciting projects for various brands such as Mercedes-Benz at Jung von Matt in Hamburg, and studied communication design in Bielefeld. Classical and modern illustration, design and trendspotting are my true hobbies. In the office I am also known as a barista, master BBQ chef and tennis player. My favorite holiday destination is Australia, where I like to exercise my wanderlust. Quokkas and Photoni (our photonworld mascot) are great buddies of mine!

Dr. Silke Stähler-Schöpf
head of student laboratory

I head our school student laboratory, PhotonLab, which you can find on photonworld in the Student Zone. I studied physics at TU München and received my doctorate there. After time at home raising my two sons (who are themselves now studying), I began working in museum education. For many years, I led tours of school groups through the Deutsches Museum — mostly for the Museum Education Centre. For the last six years, I’ve been focused on PhotonLab. I appreciate getting to meet all the different people who visit the lab, and I love making complex physics easier for them to understand. In my spare time, my favorite thing to do is walk my dog.

Dr. Veit Ziegelmaier
Editor / Author / Filmeditor / Curator

As a curator, author and art historian with a diverse range of interests, I am fascinated by the intersection of art and science. In my doctoral thesis on the artist Damien Hirst, I researched just that. As an experienced curator in the field of contemporary art, I have recently moved into science communication, with a focus on laser physics. Together with the Public Relations team at the Laboratory for Attosecond Physics, I have curated the exhibition »Laser | Light | Life. From to Hightech-Photonik«, which presents laser research and technology to a public audience—just in time for the 60th anniversary commemorating the invention of the laser! I believe that making sense of the world is closely linked to having a passion for discovery. Communicating this passion on photonworld.de is an exciting task indeed!

Umai Galadriel Chibbaro Leiva
Editorial assistant

As a physics student and a lover of art of all kinds, Phontonworld is the ideal place for me to live out my two passions. I have been fascinated by science journalism for several years and the Max Planck Institute has opened the doors to a world I have always wanted to be a part of. In addition, it is also the perfect complement to my physics studies at TUM and my love of literature. On my free time, I enjoy reading science fiction or drawing. Most of the time, however, you can find me on the Garching Campus, either studying or spending my time in the PR department of the attoworld.

authors

Dr. Frank Fleischmann
Biologist

My career path is not entirely straightforward. I originally studied biology, specializing in botany. After completing my doctorate in phytopathology (plant diseases), I worked for a long time as a forest pathologist at the Technical University of Munich. There I researched how root pathogens damage the host trees. This was followed by a detour into the private sector. As a project manager at a genetics service provider, I was responsible for environmental projects as well as human medical studies. When a position as biobank manager was advertised in Prof. Ferenc Krausz's attoworld team, I didn't hesitate for long to return to the university. There I work at the Chair of Experimental Physics - Laser Physics at the Ludwig-Maximilians Universität München in Dr. Mihaela Zigman's research group on the use of laser-based infrared spectroscopy for disease diagnostics. Being able to work at the interface between the scientific disciplines of biology, human medicine and physics is very exciting for me. 

Charlotte Huber
Press and Public Relations (MPQ)

I studied classical philology in Oxford and Munich and came to the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics after a stopover of several years in the eternal city (Rome). As an internal and external communications officer, I regularly write texts - both about the people and the research of our institute.

Thorsten Naeser
project leader and editor

I have been passionate about science journalism since undertaking an internship in the science section of the Münchner Merkur newspaper as a student. Following my geography studies, I worked for ten years as a freelance science journalist and photographer. Since 2008, I have worked in PR for the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics and Ludwig Maximilians University, conveying news about laser research to the curious general public. I lead the photonworld editorial team. A Munich native, I love to explore this city on my bike.

Steffi Bucher
Biologin

I studied chemistry and biology in Munich. Afterwards I was project manager and manager of the Munich Science Days for many years. Science fascinates me in the whole range of disciplines and basic research as well as the scientific discussion of socially relevant issues. I like to travel, the world is big and I want to get to know it even better.

Dr. Nils Haag
physicist

As an astroparticle physicist, I advise our authors and even write the occasional article or two myself. I also work as a research consultant to ensure our research operations at the Laboratory of Attosecond Physics run smoothly, and can therefore keep you up to date with the latest exciting news on our laser research. When I'm not explaining the workings of the world to Photoni, I’m either sitting at my drum kit or on my bike.

Athanassios Kaliudis
Editor-in-chief of the Trumpf company magazine „Laser Community“

As a tech-savvy person, I am fascinated by the possibilities of the smart new world. Smart phones, smart homes, smart factories, smart everything: this interconnectivity has revolutionized all areas of our lives. And light technology is the hidden champion of this revolution. Writing is my passion – a passion that I have turned into a career. So what could be better than to write about new technologies? As a technology journalist, I worked for five years at the mobile technology magazine connect. Today, I am responsible for press relations in the corporate communications team at the leading laser technology firm TRUMPF. For our company magazine Laser Community I am constantly on the lookout for exciting new applications of light.

Franziska Konitzer

Originally I’ve studied physics with a focus on astrophysics at the University of York but then ended up with science journalism through an education and training station. Meanwhile I act as free journalist in Munich and currently also study sculpting at the Academy of Arts in Munich.

Susanna Fischerauer

Being a literature, fine arts and culture geek, and having completed a degree in German studies with a minor in Linguistics, Literature and Culture at the Ludwigs-Maximilians-Universität in Munich, I've found just the right spot for me on the editorial board at Photonworld. I've enjoyed working in public relations ever since the beginning of my tertiary studies in October 2014—now I can continue pursuing my passion for conducting interviews and getting involved in editorial work at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics. In my down time, I'm active as a musician, photographer and always up for exploring cafes and bars.

Dr. Mihaela Zigman
author (biology and life sciences)

Physicists helped to conceive the discipline of modern molecular genetics several decades ago and, ever since, technological advances in laser physics have extended the frontiers of basic and applied biomedical sciences to new levels of understanding.

Ideas come from very different places. With a perspective that true scientific advance largely builds on crossdisciplinary approaches I would like to directly contribute to building bridges between laser physics and molecular life sciences. I promote scientific discourse between different disciplines and help tackling questions of basic science as well as real-life problems from different scientific viewpoints.

scientific advisory

Dr. Frank Fleischmann
Biologist

My career path is not entirely straightforward. I originally studied biology, specializing in botany. After completing my doctorate in phytopathology (plant diseases), I worked for a long time as a forest pathologist at the Technical University of Munich. There I researched how root pathogens damage the host trees. This was followed by a detour into the private sector. As a project manager at a genetics service provider, I was responsible for environmental projects as well as human medical studies. When a position as biobank manager was advertised in Prof. Ferenc Krausz's attoworld team, I didn't hesitate for long to return to the university. There I work at the Chair of Experimental Physics - Laser Physics at the Ludwig-Maximilians Universität München in Dr. Mihaela Zigman's research group on the use of laser-based infrared spectroscopy for disease diagnostics. Being able to work at the interface between the scientific disciplines of biology, human medicine and physics is very exciting for me. 

Prof. Jörg Schreiber
physicist

After his studies at the Friedrich-Schiller-University in Jena Jörg Schreiber deepened his interest in physics by using intensive laser pulses at the Max-Planck-Institute of Quantum Optics Garching and the Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich. Following his dissertation about ion acceleration in 2006 he played an important role in this field at the Munich-Centre for Advanced Photonics (MAP). An international scholarship of the DAAD enabled him to reside for two years at the Imperial College in London. There, he devoted himself to a bright spectrum of new application possibilities of relativistic plasma. In 2010 he returned to the MPQ. Since 2011 Jörg Schreiber is associated professor at the chair of Medical Physics at the LMU and since 2015 founding member of the Centre for Advanced Laser Applications (CALA). His scientific work of the past 15 years is documented in more than 100 publications.

students

Sandra Blume
intern at PhotonLab
Fabian Brütting
intern at PhotonLab
Jonas Hamp
intern at PhotonLab
Simon Lukas
intern at PhotonLab
Jann-Lukas Meier
intern at PhotonLab
Luca Werner
intern at PhotonLab