Two Excellence Clusters supported by the German Federal and State Governments are hosted at Heidelberg University. The Department of Physics and Astronomy plays a major role in hosting the Cluster of Excellence "STRUCTURES". Some faculty members are also involved in the interdisciplinary Cluster of Excellence "3D Matter Made to Order" (3DMM2O), together with scientists at the Karlsruhe Institute for Technology.
The STRUCTURES Cluster of Excellence addresses specific, highly topical questions about the formation, role, and detection of structure in a broad range of natural phenomena, from subatomic particles to cosmology, and from fundamental quantum physics to neuroscience. The new concepts and methods explored by the cluster are central for finding structures in large datasets, and for realising new forms of analogue computing.
Spokespersons:
Prof. Dr Manfred Salmhofer (Institute for Theoretical Physics)
Prof. Dr Anna Marciniak-Czochra (Mathematical Institute)
Prof. Dr Markus Oberthaler (Kirchhoff Institute for Physics)
“3D Matter Made to Order”, the joint Cluster of Excellence by the Karlsruhe Institute for Technology and Heidelberg University, pursues a highly interdisciplinary approach combining natural and engineering sciences. The cluster concentrates on three-dimensional additive manufacturing techniques, from the molecular level to macroscopic dimensions. Its vision is the ultimate digitisation of 3D manufacturing and material processing. These methods are to be used to produce components and systems by nanoprinting at maximum process speed and resolution for novel applications in materials and life sciences. The cluster also receives funding from the Carl Zeiss Foundation.
Spokespersons:
Prof. Dr Martin Wegener (KIT, Institute of Applied Physics / Institute of Nanotechnology)
Prof. Dr Jochen Wittbrodt (Heidelberg University, Fakultät für Biowissenschaften)
