Helmholtz Prize for high-precision measurements of the theory of relativity and nanomaterials

From fundamental physics related to Einstein’s special theory of relativity to fundamentals of metrological applications in the nanometer range – the bandwidth of this year’s Helmholtz Prize is considerable. The Helmholtz Prize, which recognizes outstanding scientific and technological research for precision measurement in physics, chemistry and medicine, is awarded every second year. Three scientists have been awarded the prize in the category of “fundamental research” for their work at PTB. By means of a long-term comparison between two highly accurate PTB clocks, Christian Sanner, Nils Huntemann and Richard Lange have succeeded in considerably improving the procedure to test the fundamental symmetry of space for electrons. The Helmholtz Prize in the category of “applied metrology” has been awarded to a team consisting of nine researchers from the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and from the University of Freiburg (Albert- Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg) working with Saskia F. Fischer, a physicist, and Peter Woias, a microsystems expert. This group has also broken new ground by laying down the scientific and technical prerequisites to standardize the measurement of individual nanostructures. In metrology, the science of precise measurement, the Helmholtz Prize, is considered one of the world’s most prominent distinctions and includes 20 000 euros in prize money for each of the two categories.