Prof. Dr. Frank Pollmann – Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prizewinner 2026
Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics, TU Munich
Matter features different characteristics in different phases. Frank Pollmann is particularly interested in topological phases that differ significantly from the usual phases of matter in terms of their energy excitation. These “exotic” phases could serve as components for quantum computers in the future. As a theoretical physicist, Pollmann is also working on predicting specific dynamic properties of such phases and simulating these in model systems. When exploring new phenomena, his focus is on so-called spin-lattice models. In this field, he has developed some ground-breaking methods for numerical simulation of such models, and the algorithms he has made freely available have inspired further research work. His more recent work included an error analysis that demonstrated that existing quantum computers can be used for numerical simulation of topological phases in quantum lattice models. These and other projects have made him a pioneer in the field of scientific computing.
Frank Pollmann studied physics at the TU Braunschweig and the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden. Upon completion of his doctorate at the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems (MPIPKS) and the TU Dresden in 2006, he conducted research work as a postdoc at the MPIPKS, the University of California, Berkeley, USA, and the Academia Sinica in Taipeh, Taiwan. He returned to Germany in 2011 and became the leader of an independent junior research group at the MPIPKS. In 2016, Frank Pollmann was made an Associate Professor at the TU Munich, before becoming a Full Professor in 2022. He has received numerous scientific awards, such as the Otto Hahn Medal from the Max Planck Society in 2007, the 2015 Walter Schottky Prize from the German Physical Society and an ERC Consolidator Grant in 2017.
GEPRIS
In our information system GEPRI(externer Link) you will find an overview of current and completed projects of Frank Pollmann.