Wilfried Nörtershäuser

Professor Wilfried Nörtershäuser is a University Professor for Experimental Atomic and Nuclear Physics of Radioactive Nuclides at the Faculty of Physics, Technische Universität Darmstadt. He leads the LaserSpHERe research group focusing on precision experiments at the interface of atomic, nuclear, and particle physics. His work involves conducting experiments at major international facilities including GSI/FAIR, CERN, FRIB, and ANL, while also operating the Collinear Apparatus for Laser Spectroscopy and Applied Physics (KOALA) at TU Darmstadt's Institute of Nuclear Physics.

His educational background includes Physics studies (1990-1995) and Doctor rerum naturalium in Physics (1999, magna cum laude) from Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz. He held postdoctoral positions at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (1999-2000) and Eberhard Karls-Universität Tübingen (2000-2005), followed by leadership of a Helmholtz Young Investigator Group at Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz & GSI (2005-2011). He was appointed Junior Professor at Johannes Gutenberg-Universität in 2009, reappointed in 2012, and became University Professor at TU Darmstadt in 2012.

Nörtershäuser's research centers on laser spectroscopy of radioactive nuclides and highly charged ions to investigate nuclear structure, fundamental symmetries, and precision measurements. His work particularly focuses on nuclear charge radii determinations across the nuclear chart, from light isotopes like lithium and beryllium to heavy elements like bismuth. Recent work includes high-precision measurements of helium-like carbon ions and hydrogen-like bismuth-208, with significant findings recognized by a Nature Physics "News and views" article.

His research publications demonstrate consistent focus on nuclear charge radii, exotic nuclei, laser spectroscopy techniques, and tests of fundamental physics. The trend shows increasing sophistication in measuring increasingly exotic systems, with particular emphasis on helium-like ions and storage ring applications. His work bridges atomic and nuclear physics through precision measurements that test quantum electrodynamics in strong fields and probe nuclear structure effects.

• Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Postdoctoral Fellowship
• DAAD Foreign Exchange Scholarship
• Scholarship of the German National Academic Foundation
• Recognition with Nature Physics "News and views" article for Bi-208 hyperfine structure measurement

Professor Nörtershäuser has secured significant research funding including roles as Principal Investigator for DFG SFB 1245 and Program Director for APPA at Helmholtz Research Academy Hesse for FAIR (HFHF). He has supervised numerous theses as evidenced by the "Finished Theses" section on his research group website. His leadership extends to international collaborations including serving as German Representative in the ISOLDE Collaboration Committee and as Co-Spokesperson for the LASPEC Collaboration.

The LaserSpHERe group operates the KOALA facility at TU Darmstadt while maintaining strong ties to major international facilities. The research team participates in multiple large-scale collaborations including the PRISMA Excellence Cluster, LASPEC Collaboration, and DFG SFB 1245. Current research directions focus on advancing laser spectroscopy techniques for increasingly exotic nuclear systems and pushing precision measurements to test fundamental physics principles.