This year, the Max Planck Medal, one of the top awards from the German Physical Society (DPG), will be awarded to Prof. Dr. Reinhard Werner of Leibniz University Hannover (LUH). With the honour, the DPG recognises Werner’s fundamental theoretical contributions in the area of quantum information, particularly regarding quantum entanglement and non-locality.
With his early works on the theoretical foundations of quantum entanglement, Werner made a vital contribution to the rapid development of his subject area. He is a pioneer of modern quantum information theory, according to the explanation from the DPG. Quantum information theory links quantum mechanics to information theory and computer science, thus forming the basis for the development of quantum technologies.
From 2009 until his retirement in September 2023, Werner was a professor at the LUH Institute of Theoretical Physics. “I like problems that are conceptually interesting and allow for a solution in the form of a non-trivial theorem. As a mathematical physicist, I also try to answer questions at the appropriate level of generality,” says Werner of his research activities.
The German Physical Society e. V. (DPG), which dates back to 1845, is the oldest physical society nationally and, with its roughly 55,000 members, the largest in the world in terms of membership. Through its conferences, events and publications, the DPG promotes knowledge transfer within the scientific community and to the general public. The Max Planck Medal is the DPG’s most prestigious award for outstanding achievements in the area of theoretical physics.
Note to editors:
For further information, please contact Prof. Dr. Reinhard Werner, Leibniz University Hannover Institute of Theoretical Physics, via email at reinhard.werner@itp.uni-hannover.de.
