Dr. Michael Förg - LMU Munich, MPQ
1. Briefly describe your current position, research focus, and your role within MCQST.
Currently, I am a postdoc within the spin-off project
Qlibri, where we are developing the world's most sensitive absorption microscope as well as a quantum optics platform based on micro-resonator technology. We are affiliated with the chair of Prof. Hänsch as well as with the nanophotonics group of Prof. Högele.
2. You were part of the Diversity in Leadership cohort last year. Would you be able to tell us if you have been able to apply some of the things you learnt? Perhaps within your role at Qlibri?
The Diversity in Leadership program was really a great journey and well-selected set of lectures. It sharpens the awareness of critical behavior patterns and is therefore a personal gain in my professional and private life. Within my role at Qlibri I have an increasing personnel responsibility, where the DIL program supplied me with additional tools in tackling the daily and the extraordinary situations. In summary: Yes, I am able to apply the things I learned there and I would recommend the program to other PhDs and Postdocs within MCQST.
The diversity in leadership program was really a great journey and well-selected set of lectures. It sharpens the awareness of critical behavior patterns and is therefore a personal gain in my professional and private life.
3. Why did you choose your field of research/what keeps you motivated?
I chose the nanophotonics\quantum optics field of research for my PhD, since I think that light is a great tool to explore the phenomena which are entitled as ‘Quantum world’ in colloquial language at the moment. The same motivation is driving me within the spin-off project Qlibri. Here, we also use light to make things visible, which were not detectable beforehand. In addition, there are a lot of new, motivating tasks in doing a start-up. From the scientific point of view, we are in contact with researches all over the world from different fields. Together, we discuss about solution, how our technology can fit their individual research goals. On top are very different and versatile tasks like strategies to protect intellectual property or doing business planning. In summary, I learned a lot new things during my time at Qlibri and this personal advance keeps me motivated.