Philip Willke

Philip Willke is a Tenure-Track Professor leading the Quantum Systems on Surfaces research group at the Institute of Physics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). His laboratory focuses on atomic-scale quantum engineering using scanning tunneling microscopy combined with electron spin resonance techniques.

His research centers on quantum coherent control of atomic-scale spin systems, with emphasis on imaging and manipulating individual atoms and molecules to develop new quantum sensors and information processing architectures. Key methodologies include single-atom magnetic resonance imaging, nuclear spin detection, and spin engineering of molecular systems on surfaces. His work bridges fundamental quantum physics with applications in quantum computing and nanoscale sensing.

Recent publications reveal strong trends in quantum spin engineering of molecular ferrimagnets (2025), coherent spin dynamics in single atoms (2024), and breakthroughs in atomic-scale magnetic field control. The research spans quantum physics, nanotechnology, and condensed matter systems, with consistent focus on atomic-scale precision and quantum coherence preservation.

• Emmy-Noether Research Grant (2020)
• ERC Starting Grant ATOMQUANT (2024)

Willke actively supervises PhD and Master's students including Paul Greule, Wantong Huang, Adrian Seiler, and Arian Vosoghi Marand. His group develops cutting-edge instrumentation including dilution refrigerator scanning tunneling microscopes. Current projects funded by major grants focus on coherent manipulation of atomic/nuclear spins, quantum sensor development, and molecular spin systems for quantum information applications.

The WillkeLab, founded in 2020 at KIT's Physics Institute, operates state-of-the-art scanning probe instrumentation including quantum-coherent STM systems. The team collaborates with Wolfgang Wernsdorfer (KIT), Sebastian Loth (University of Stuttgart), and Mario Ruben (KIT) while maintaining ties with IBM and the Center for Quantum Nanoscience.