Inaugural lecture by Michael Buchhold und Klemens Hammerer
Tuesday, 9.6.25, 16:30
HS C
Students, Academic Staff
We invite you to the inaugural lecture by Klemens Hammerer, Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Innsbruck, and Michael Buchhold, Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Innsbruck.
Univ.-Prof. Michael Buchhold, MSc PhD
Symmetry, Universality, and the Architecture of Quantum Matter
One of the deepest lessons of modern physics is that the behavior of complex systems at large scales is governed not by microscopic details but by symmetry. This principle, called universality, explains why water boiling and magnets flipping belong to the same mathematical class, and why the symmetries of quantum mechanics are powerful enough to organize all topological phases of quantum matter into a table with exactly ten entries, no more and no fewer.
In this lecture, I will trace this idea from its classical roots to quantum matter driven by measurement and feedback. Modern quantum platforms are among the most precisely controlled realizations of many-body quantum dynamics ever built, offering new ways to engineer, study, and control phases of matter. When subjected to repeated local measurements with real-time feedback, something remarkable occurs: the same classification that organizes topological quantum matter reappears, now governing which quantum states can be prepared and how efficiently. From this perspective, symmetry does not merely classify what quantum matter is, it classifies what quantum matter can become.
Univ.-Prof. Klemens Hammerer
The Quantum Limits of Measurement
Our understanding of space and time is rooted in measurement. Over the past decades, quantum optics has enabled some of the most precise experiments ever realized, from gravitational wave detection to atomic clocks and atom interferometers. These platforms define the current limits of sensitivity and stability, setting the scale for how accurately we can probe the universe.
At their core, these measurements are constrained by quantum mechanics. Fluctuations inherent to quantum states impose fundamental limits on precision, shaping what can be known and how well it can be resolved. Yet, recent advances in quantum control have begun to transform these limitations into resources. By engineering quantum correlations, exploiting entanglement, and tailoring measurement protocols, it becomes possible to surpass classical bounds and approach ultimate quantum limits. In this lecture, I will discuss how theoretical quantum optics provides the framework to understand and extend these frontiers, and how ideas from quantum information have become part of the description of precision measurements.