Symposium Celebrating the 75th(+1) Birthday of Professor Gerd Leuchs
To mark the 75th (+1) birthday of Professor Gerd Leuchs, founding director of the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light and Head of the Leuchs Emeritus Group, a scientific symposium will be held from June 25 to 26, 2026.
Over the course of two days, leading international scientists and colleagues of Gerd Leuchs will offer insights into current developments in the fields of quantum sciences and technologies as well as modern optics, under the theme “Light, Lasers & Quanta”.
In addition to scientific talks and panel discussions, the symposium will place a special focus on scientific and personal exchange between participants and speakers.
The event celebrates the remarkable scientific career and lasting legacy of the Institute’s emeritus founding director. With his groundbreaking contributions and influential personality, Gerd Leuchs has significantly shaped the field of light science. Bringing together researchers from around the world, the symposium will highlight current developments in the context of his work and honor his lasting influence on the scientific community.
Invited Speakers:
- Ulrik L. Andersen (Technical University of Denmark)
- János A. Bergou (Hunter College, CUNY)
- Gunnar Björk (KTH Royal Institute of Technology)
- Robert W. Boyd (University of Rochester)
- Maria V. Chekhova (Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light)
- Silke H. Christiansen (Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS)
- Peter D. Drummond (Swinburne University of Technology)
- Berthold-Georg Englert (Beijing Institute of Technology)
- Radim Filip (Palacký University)
- Élisabeth Giacobino (Sorbonne Université)
- Ebrahim Karimi (Chapman University)
- Peter L. Knight (Imperial College London)
- Friedrich König (University of St Andrews)
- Natalia V. Korolkova (University of St Andrews)
- Peter Lambropoulos (University of Crete, IESL-FORTH)
- Norbert Lütkenhaus (University of Waterloo)
- Christoph Marquardt (Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light)
- Margaret Reid (Swinburne University of Technology)
- Klaus W. Rith (Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg)
- Philip St.J. Russell (Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light)
- Luis L. Sánchez-Soto (Universidad Complutense de Madrid)
- Wolfgang P. Schleich (Universität Ulm)
- Bernhard Schmauß (Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg)
- Harald G. L. Schwefel (University of Otago)
- Christine Silberhorn (Universität Paderborn)
- Konstadinos Siomos (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens)
- Andreas Tünnermann (Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF)
- Peter van Loock (Johannes-Gutenberg University of Mainz)
- Albrecht Winnacker (Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg)
A detailed program and registration information can be found here.