Oliver Gerberding

Dr. Oliver Gerberding is a Junior Professor (W1 with tenure track to W2) in Experimental Physics at the University of Hamburg’s Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences. As head of the Gravitational Wave Detection research group at the Institute of Experimental Physics, he focuses on advancing laser interferometry for gravitational wave astronomy, particularly in ground-based (Einstein Telescope) and space-based (LISA) detectors. His work intersects precision metrology, quantum technologies, and photonics.

• Academic Career: 2019–present: Junior Professor at University of Hamburg; 2016–2019: Postdoctoral Researcher at Max Planck Institute and Leibniz Universität Hannover; 2014: PhD in Physics (supervisors: Karsten Danzmann, Gerhard Heinzel).
• Research Pillars: Scattered light suppression, seismic noise mitigation, tunable coherence techniques, and ultra-stable laser systems for gravitational wave detectors.

His recent publications demonstrate breakthroughs in stray light suppression (40 dB in Michelson interferometers), picometer-stable optical benches for space missions, and seismic noise analysis in XFEL systems. He leads institutional roles in the Einstein Telescope’s Instrument Science Board and co-initiated the WAVE seismic network. His group mentors PhD students in experimental gravitational wave physics.