Dynamic Progress into the Second Funding Period: Würzburg-Dresden Cluster of Excellence Seeks Continued Funding with New Name ctd.qmat

Overview

Cutting-edge research into novel quantum materials needs to be continued! Under its new name, ctd.qmat—Complexity, Topology and Dynamics in Quantum Matter, the Würzburg-Dresden Cluster of Excellence has submitted its application for the second funding period from 2026 to 2032 within the Excellence Competition of the German Federal and State Governments. The proposal, valued at €70 million, builds on the successes of the current period, which has yielded over 1,300 publications and six patents. To enhance the practical impact of its fundamental research, the cluster is expanding its research focus to include quantum dynamics, an increasingly important branch of solid-state physics. The decision about funding will be announced on May 22, 2025.

The submission of this renewal proposal to the German Research Foundation (DFG) for the second funding period in the multi-billion-euro Excellence Competition of the German Federal and State Governments marks the first milestone for the Würzburg-Dresden Cluster of Excellence in its endeavor to continue its work (currently funded until the end of 2025) under its new name ctd.qmat. Since 2019, ct.qmat has been the only cluster spanning two federal states, connecting two leading research environments in condensed matter science—the Universities of Würzburg and Dresden. It unites over 300 researchers from more than 30 countries, working on groundbreaking topological quantum materials that will drive future high-tech innovations.

“With over 1,300 scientific publications and six patents, we have surpassed our goals for the first funding period,” says Professor Ralph Claessen, the Würzburg cluster spokesperson and head of the Chair of Experimental Physics IV at Julius-Maximilians-Universität (JMU) Würzburg. He adds that ct.qmat’s volume of applied research output is exceptionally high for a project in basic research: “The patents we’ve developed, including those for topological lasers, a topological pressure sensor, ultra-precise measurement, and topological catalysis, among others, lay the groundwork for practical technological applications. This demonstrates that our strategy has been successful. Now, we are seeking answers to new questions.”

The application for the second funding period, with a total volume of 70 million euros (57 million euros excluding the program allowance—a flat-rate supplement for indirect project expenses), will significantly broaden the research scope into quantum dynamics. With investigations of quantum dynamics emerging as a key trend in many-body physics in recent years, ctd.qmat stands for Complexity, Topology and Dynamics in Quantum Matter.

“We’ve added ‘d’ for dynamics to our previous name, ct.qmat, because we aim to delve deeply into quantum dynamics, both theoretically and experimentally. This includes creating new cluster professorships specifically focused on these areas,” says Matthias Vojta, the Dresden cluster spokesperson and professor of theoretical solid-state physics at Technische Universität (TU) Dresden. “We are interested in how topological quantum systems behave over time when external factors change. This research will help us understand the dynamic development of these systems and how we can influence them. By adopting this approach, we’re bridging to a stronger application focus. After all, all electrical circuits are based on dynamic processes. Controlling or manipulating these temporal changes is fundamental to every application and ultimately to new components. Quantum dynamics will become as crucial and integrative for our fields of research as complexity and topology already are,” Vojta explains.

In the second funding period, ctd.qmat plans to establish six new professorships—three each in Dresden and Würzburg. They will complement the six cluster professorships set up in the current funding period, which are dedicated to quantum sensing, 2D materials, topological photonics, unconventional superconductivity, topological X-ray physics, and the modeling of topological quantum materials. To support sustainable growth, further infrastructure expansion is planned at both locations, including a new building in Dresden set to be completed in 2029, which ctd.qmat will share with the Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden (IFW).

Which cluster projects will receive funding in the second round of the Excellence Competition will be announced by a panel of experts on May 22, 2025.