From September 23 to 27, 2024, the Institute of Physics at the University of Rostock hosted the first international conference "Light-Matter Interactions at Interfaces." This event was part of the Collaborative Research Center 1477 (SFB1477), which has been funded by the German Research Foundation with nearly 10 million euros since 2022.

"The conference offered around 150 international researchers a valuable platform to present and discuss the latest findings, as well as exchange new ideas for future research collaborations," explained Prof. Dieter Bauer, spokesperson for the SFB "Light-Matter Interactions at Interfaces," also known as LiMatI.

The focus of the conference was on recent discoveries regarding light-matter interactions at interfaces, which form the basis for new technologies in areas such as ultrafast electronics, structural determination, sensing technologies, radiation sources, magnetism, and quantum information, according to co-organizer Prof. Thomas Fennel.

A highlight of the event was the presentation of the poster award to two young researchers. The award, sponsored by Wiley, recognized outstanding research results and their presentation, emphasized Dr. Margit Schwartz, the coordinator of LiMatI.

The SFB1477 team was very pleased with the positive feedback from participants, who praised the high quality and relevance of the lectures as well as the valuable networking opportunities. The strong response highlights Rostock's role as a hub for cutting-edge research in this field, noted both Prof. Bauer and Prof. Fennel. The SFB1477 team is motivated to continue its work and develop an ongoing series of conferences, while aiming for additional funding phases.