In 1956, the Dutch Nobel Prize winner Frits Zernike compared the development of optics with tidal waves: low phases were followed by high phases. If we stick with this image, the developments that followed – the invention of the laser on the one hand and a new quantum physical understanding of light on the other – led physics to new heights, which continue to have an impact on current research. To connect the past and the present, this lecture will trace selected highlights of the development of laser physics and quantum optics in the second half of the 20th century.
The "Physik Modern" lecture series in the quantum year 2025 offers insights into various areas of quantum physics, from the history of the theory's origins to its postulates and current research. The lectures are organized by LMU Physics and the Cluster of Excellence Munich Center for Quantum Science and Technology and present current research areas of the Faculty of Physics at LMU Munich and the participating Max Planck Institutes in a generally understandable way. The lecture series is aimed at a broad public interested in the subject. After the lecture there will be room for discussion and personal dialogue.