Klaus Hornberger

Professor Klaus Hornberger is a leading theoretical physicist at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany, heading the AG Hornberger research group devoted to the quantum physics of complex nanoscale systems. Since 2011 he has held the Chair of Theoretical Physics in the Faculty of Physics, after previously leading a research group at the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems and holding an Emmy Noether grant at LMU Munich.

Education & Career:

• PhD in Quantum Chaos, LMU Munich (2001)
• Diploma Physics, LMU Munich & MPQ Garching (1997)
• Post-doctoral fellow, University of Vienna (with Markus Arndt & Anton Zeilinger)
• Emmy Noether Group Leader, LMU Munich (2004-2009)
• Research Group Leader, MPI Dresden (2009-2011)
• Professor of Theoretical Physics, University of Duisburg-Essen (2011–present)

Research Focus:

His work centres on decoherence theory, matter-wave interferometry, quantum opto- and electro-mechanics, and the quantum-to-classical transition. Ongoing projects explore decoherence and entanglement in nanomechanical systems, molecular matter waves, levitated nanoparticles, and rotational superpositions. The group pursues both foundational tests of quantum mechanics and practical sensing applications, often in close collaboration with leading experimental teams worldwide.

Scientific Awards & Honors:

• Outstanding Referee Award, American Physical Society (2022)
• Member of the NRW Academy of Sciences & Arts (since 2022)
• Emmy Noether Grant, German Research Foundation (2004–2009)
• Otto Hahn Medal, Max Planck Society (2001)

Supervision & Grants:

He has supervised >15 PhD students, many of whom have themselves received dissertation and poster prizes. His research is funded by the EU Horizon 2020 programme (NANOQUESTFIT, MAQRO), the German Research Foundation (DFG Emmy Noether, Heisenberg, SFB/TRR), and the Wilhelm & Else Heraeus Foundation (workshops & summer schools).

Group & Collaborations:

The AG Hornberger group occupies rooms MG 480–490 in the Duisburg campus, hosting post-docs, PhD and Master students working on theory closely coupled to experiments at UC Berkeley, University of Vienna, ETH Zürich, Imperial College London, and other leading laboratories.