- Coherent superposition of quantum states in atoms
- Vacuum is essential for basic scientific research
Asslar, Germany, November 21, 2014. This year, the Justus Liebig University Giessen is awarding its Röntgen Prize to Prof. Dr. Jörg Evers. The Röntgen Prize is awarded each year for outstanding work on basic research into radiation physics and radiation biology. Named in memory of Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, who was a professor in Giessen from 1879 to 1888, the award primarily targets the work of young scientists. The prize is donated by Pfeiffer Vacuum, the Dr. Erich Pfeiffer Foundation and the Ludwig Schunk Foundation.
This year’s winner, Prof. Dr. Evers, is currently a team leader at the Max Planck Institute of Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg. He is receiving the award for his theoretical prediction of potential realization of the coherent superposition of quantum states in atoms. This prediction was confirmed in an experiment conducted on the PETRA III storage ring at DESY in Hamburg. Petra III offers scientists excellent experimental facilities with its powerful light source. The attempt was realized on thin-layer preparations, with a 0.6 nm thin layer of iron cores between layers of carbon and palladium. The experiment included the use of Mössbauer spectroscopy, which was awarded the Röntgen and the Nobel prize in 1961.
