The DPG Spring Conference of the Condensed Matter Section (SKM) will take place from 16 to 21 March at the University of Regensburg. The largest of the four DPG Spring Meetings is regularly also the largest physics congress in Europe. With a wide range of specialist topics, the programme also offers lectures on social challenges such as climate change, artificial intelligence and quantum technologies. The interested public is warmly invited to participate in the public programme. Admission is free.
‘Especially in today's world, international, fact-based exchange is important in order to tackle major challenges,’ says DPG President Prof. Dr. Klaus Richter and expresses his gratitude to all those involved for their commitment. A good example of this is the hundred-year success story of quantum mechanics. Cooperation and exchange were essential for the long-term development of this, which holds the potential for further groundbreaking innovations. ‘The conference offers deep insights into current research and promotes international cooperation,’ says Richter.
The spectrum of condensed matter includes solids, soft matter and liquids. The topics of the section are correspondingly wide-ranging: the systems analysed range from semiconductors, metals and quantum materials to plastics and biological cells.
The DPG Spring Meeting of the SKM has been held in Regensburg at regular intervals for 35 years. The local university is an ideal venue for the conference, as it is one of the few in Germany that offers ample space for the working groups, committees, and the now twelve divisions of the section—all within a compact, walkable campus.
Foto: UR/Julia Dragan Climate change, artificial intelligence and quantum technologies
With over 3,800 scientific contributions, speakers at the conference will present the latest developments in their respective fields. ‘At our institute, we are looking forward to addressing our key topics of nanostructures, quantum materials and spintronics at the conference,’ says conference organiser Prof. Dr. Christoph Strunk from the University of Regensburg. ‘The conference provides a platform for both international experts and young scientists and is an excellent opportunity for networking.’
Quantum technologies and their potential for the economy and society are taking centre stage this year. Not only the AIW Industry Day ‘Quantum Technologies in Business and Society’, but also the symposia ‘Electronic Structure Theory for Quantum Technology’ and ‘Nonequilibrium Collective Behaviour in Open Classical and Quantum Systems’ are dedicated to the topic of the anniversary year. One of the most pressing topics, climate change, is the subject of the public evening lecture on ‘Leben in einer w?rmer werdenden Welt: Wie der Klimawandel unser Leben beeinflusst’.
The newly founded DPG Climate Working Group will follow up on this topic with its lunchtime lecture ‘Menschheitsaufgabe Klimawandel und die DPG: Gründung der AG Klima’ and invites conference participants to exchange ideas in the subsequent ‘Climate Lounge’. The ongoing development of artificial intelligence is revolutionising numerous scientific disciplines, including biophysics and materials science. Symposia such as ‘AI in (Bio-) Physics’ and ‘AI-driven Materials Design’ as well as other lectures offer a platform for the exchange of ideas on the use of AI within physics.
Award-winning physics
A further highlight of the conference is the ceremonial presentation of the Walter-Schottky-Prize, the Gaede-Prize and the SKM Dissertation Prize during the festive session on Tuesday, 18 March 2025. Many DPG prizewinners will present their award-winning work during the conference.
Save the Date (admission free, open to the public)
University of Regensburg, Universit?tsstra?e 31, 93053 Regensburg, H1 (Audimax)
- 'Einstein Slam: Physics in 10 minutes’, Monday, 17 March 2025, 20:00 - 21:00 h
- Lecture: ‘How to build a biological cell from scratch’ Prof Dr Petra Schwille, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Tuesday, 18 March 2025, 16:00 - 18:00 h
- Public evening lecture (in German): ‘Leben in einer w?rmer werdenden Welt: Wie der Klimawandel unser Leben beeinflusst’ Thomas Jung, Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Wednesday, 19 March 2025, 19:00 - 20:15 h
More information
Conference website (external link, opens in a new window)
Scientific programme (external link, opens in a new window)
Overview of award presentations (external link, opens in a new window)
Die wichtigsten Fakten zur Quantenphysik (external link, opens in a new window) im UR-Science Blog (external link, opens in a new window)
Contacts
Melanie Rutowski, M.A.
Kommunikation
Tel. +49 (2224) 9232-82
E-Mail: presse@dpg-physik.de