News of the Year

Prof. Dr. Piet O. Schmidt has received a 2.5 million euro ERC Advanced Grant from the EU for a five-year project that will seek to use optical clocks to shed light on some fundamental questions: Is our description of nature complete? What is dark matter? Do natural constants vary with time or location?

Theoretical predictions attest that optical clocks based on highly charged ions, which are...

In 2021, PTB expanded the existing team at its newly founded Quantum Technology Competence Center (QTZ) by adding six more posts. Together with partners from industry, the QTZ supports the targeted transfer of various quantum technologies to economically viable applications. It acts as a central contact for industry at the interface between scientific research and application-related development.

Quantum computers are expected to solve problems that are beyond the capabilities of even today’s most advanced supercomputers. Around the world, the development of quantum computers is in full swing. The two most promising technology platforms for realizing the quantum bits are trapped ions and superconducting circuits. PTB is placing intense efforts into the trapped ion technology. In 2021, the...

A natural constant should always have the same value, regardless of when or where it has been determined. And Einstein’s theory of relativity exploits this fundamental assumption too, which is known as local position invariance (LPI). Scientists from PTB have now confirmed the validity of LPI by means of a clearly improved experimental test. These investigations were motivated by modern string...

To ensure that high standards of quality and reliability also apply in a digitalized world, PTB is helping to develop a digital quality infrastructure at the German, European and global levels.

This includes the development of internationally accepted data formats that enable digital traceability to the International System of Units (SI). With this aim in mind, the International Committee for...

The development of digital products and services that use artificial intelligence (AI) has greatly accelerated since the start of the digital transformation. AI techniques could be the solution to many medical challenges: For example, imaging procedures generate large volumes of data which are unmanageable for physicians whereas an algorithm can assess them within seconds. But however high the...

Challenges can be mastered best by joint research and a clustering of competences. On this basis, metrology institutes have been joining forces under the umbrella of EURAMET e.V., the European association of national metrology institutes, for many years. Research programs which are co-financed at the European level have been central to providing aid here. Following approval by the European...

The production sector is the backbone of Europe’s industry with about 2 million companies and more than 30 million people working in this area. To keep this sector fit for the future and to master challenges such as the digital transformation and sustainability, the EU is supporting research on advanced manufacturing. A variety of elements such as the use of new materials, 3D and 4D printing,...

The societal importance of radiation protection is growing: More than 23 million people around the world are exposed to ionizing radiation sometime during the course of their work. Natural radiation is everywhere and affects everyone. Moreover, radiation protection is becoming ever more intricate and diverse: Given the latest developments, such as pulsed radiation in medical, industrial or...

In the battle against climate change, the role of hydrogen – and green hydrogen in particular – is becoming ever more important. Whether for power supply, for transportation or for industry, hydrogen can help us to significantly reduce the amount of fossil fuels we burn. In Germany, the steel industry's share of greenhouse gas emissions is significant, at about 6 %, which is why this sector is...