Thorsten Schumm

Thorsten Schumm - Academic Overview

Thorsten Schumm is an Associate Professor at Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien), leading the Quantum Metrology research group within the Atomic Institute. He is a key member of the Erwin Schrödinger Center for Quantum Science & Technology (ESQ) and the Vienna Center for Quantum Science and Technology (VCQ). His research focuses on developing novel quantum measurement techniques, particularly nuclear clocks using thorium-229 isotopes and matter-wave interferometry with collective many-body states.

Key Affiliations & Roles

• Associate Professor, TU Wien (since 201X)
• ERC Synergy Grant recipient (2019) for the 'Thorium Nuclear Clock' project
• Principal Investigator for EU-funded MoSaiQC network (2019) and AQUclock project (2022)

Research Interests

His work bridges quantum metrology with nuclear physics, precision spectroscopy, and many-body quantum systems. He pioneers the development of nuclear clocks—next-generation timekeeping devices using nuclear transitions instead of electronic transitions for unprecedented accuracy. Recent breakthroughs include direct measurement of the thorium-229 isomer energy and advances in laser-driven nuclear excitation techniques.

Notable Achievements

• 2019 ERC Synergy Grant: Enabled global collaboration toward the world's most precise atomic clock
• 2022 AQUclock project: TU Wien collaboration with Austrian authorities to build state-of-the-art atomic infrastructure
• 2019: First experimental determination of thorium-229 isomer energy published in Nature

Academic Leadership

He has mentored 5 PhD students and hosted 5 postdoctoral researchers. His group actively participates in the Vienna Graduate Program on Complex Quantum Systems (COQUS), training the next generation of quantum scientists.