Dr. Cesar Cabrera - LMU Munich
1. Briefly describe your current position, research focus, and your role within MCQST.
I am a postdoctoral researcher in the group of Prof. Dr. I. Bloch and Prof. Dr. M. Aidelsburger. My research project is to create a new quantum gas microscope to study interacting topological systems. I am currently working at LMU, Munich.
2. What was the biggest professional challenge you overcame or faced recently?
After two years of hard work, we recently got our microscope working. Now we are able to image single atoms. Moreover, we are now able to explore the superfluid to mott insulator transition. This is the first step towards learning the mysteries of interacting topological insulators.
3. What are you cooking during the holidays?
For the Christmas holidays, I will cook "tamales". This is a traditional Mexican dish that consists of a corn-based dough mixture that is filled with meat, cheese, and chili slices. Tamales are wrapped and cooked in corn husks or banana leaves. Do not forget to remove the leaves for eating :).