The Faculty of Physics welcomes Prof. Norbert Schuch

30.09.2020

Prof. Norbert Schuch, professor at the Faculties of Physics and Mathematics, employs concepts from quantum information, in particular entanglement theory, to study the rich variety of physical phenomena observed in complex interacting quantum many-body systems.

The research group headed by Prof. Norbert Schuch applies quantum information methods to the systematic study of strongly correlated systems, with three main goals; their first aim is to classify the possible phases of strongly correlated systems, this is, the distinct types of global entanglement.
Second, they use these insights to study specific strongly correlated systems by means of tailored variational wavefunctions.
Third, they study the fundamental limitations to their understanding of these systems imposed by quantum complexity theory. An important tool in the studies of the recent
ERC Consolidator grant holder is the description of many-body states in terms of tensor networks. Tensor network states provide a description of a global wavefunction, as well as an associated Hamiltonian, from a single local tensor which encapsulates all properties of the system, and thus allow for an explanation of the global behavior of strongly correlated systems based on their local properties.

Teaching Norbert Schuch

Education, Professional Experience & Awards

  • 1997-2002 Studies of Physics and Mathematics at the University of Regensburg
  • 2003-2007 PhD at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics and the TU Munich
  • 2007-2009 Postdoc at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics, Munich
  • 2009-2012 Postdoc at the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena/USA
  • 2012-2015 Junior Professor (tenure track) at the Institute for Quantum Informationat RWTH Aachen
  • 2014 ERC Starting Grant "Wavefunctions for Strongly Correlated Systems"
  • 2015-2020 Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics, Munich
  • 2019 ERC Consolidator Grant "Symmetries and entanglement in quantum matter"
  • As of Oct. 2020 Professor for Physics and Mathematics at the University of Vienna