Celebrate 100 years of quantum mechanics: lecture on solar energy in Ilmenau!

Celebrate 100 years of quantum mechanics: lecture on solar energy in Ilmenau!

The Technical University of Ilmenau is taking advantage of an important occasion to celebrate the achievements and developments of quantum mechanics. On Tuesday, June 10th, at 5:15 p.m., the university invites you to a lecture entitled “Solar energy – from the Planck spectrum to the tandem cell”. The speaker, Professor Thomas Hannappel, heads the Fundamentals of Energy Materials department and will speak about the central aspects of photovoltaics and their connection to quantum physics in the lecture hall of the Faraday Building, Weimarer Straße 32.

In his speech, Professor Hannappel will address the historical development of quantum mechanics, which has its roots in the findings of Max Planck. In 1900, Planck described the spectral distribution of solar radiation, an event often considered to be the birth of quantum theory. This occurred at a time when the physical community was still in the long and convoluted process of developing cutting-edge quantum mechanical theories, which were eventually further developed by scientists such as Albert Einstein and Werner Heisenberg, as well physics.aps.org determines.

From theory to application

A central topic of the lecture will be the interaction of quantum objects in modern solar cells. Professor Hannappel plans to explain how photons, electrons, holes, phonons and excitons interact in tandem cells with high efficiencies. These cells are not only advances in classic silicon technology, but also innovative approaches such as artificial leaves that can efficiently convert solar energy. The “Quants in Ilmenau” lecture series, which will take place in six lectures until July 2023, aims to make the findings of quantum physics visible to the general public.

In the historical context, the lecture also underlines the comprehensive importance of quantum mechanics. The first theoretical foundations were laid by Werner Heisenberg in the form of matrix mechanics in 1925, followed by Erwin Schrödinger's wave mechanics in 1926. These developments formed a new view of the microworld and revolutionized our understanding of light and matter, what heureka-stories.de comprehensively describes.

A look into the future of quantum science

The year 2025 will be celebrated as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, which seeks to honor the centenary of quantum mechanics as a complete theory. This science not only laid the foundation for many modern technologies, but also challenges classical concepts of cause and effect. Quantum mechanics reveals applications such as quantum computing, quantum cryptography and quantum teleportation, which have the potential to fundamentally change the world as we know it.

The developments that Max Planck, Albert Einstein and their successors initiated will be further explored in the upcoming events in the lecture series. On June 24th, Professor Siegfried Stapf will give a lecture on “nuclear magnetic resonance”, followed by Professor Stefan Krischok, who will discuss the “photographic effect” on July 8th.

Admission to the lectures is free, and anyone interested is warmly invited to learn more about the fascinating world of quantum mechanics and discover its influence on the future of energy production.