New materials with tailored functionalities are of paramount importance for all modern technologies, from information processing to sustainable energy and health care. In the 21st century condensed-matter physics, as the relevant scientific discipline, has made the revolutionary discovery that the mathematical concept of topology is a fundamental key for the understanding of quantum-mechanical states of matter. This insight has sparked a scientific boom worldwide, leading to the discovery of many new topological quantum materials and their remarkable physical properties, with key contributions from Würzburg (observation of the quantum spin Hall effect) and Dresden (prediction of magnetic monopoles in spin ice).

The Excellence Cluster “Complexity and Topology in Quantum Matter (ct.qmat)” is a unique research platform for comprehensive studies of the fundamental physics of topological quantum materials and their vast application potential. The cluster unites physicists, chemists, and material scientists in their efforts to understand, control, and apply these fundamentally new states of quantum matter. Based on the strong and complementary scientific expertise and infrastructure in Würzburg and Dresden, ct.qmat spans a broad research program – ranging from materials synthesis via experimental and theoretical studies of novel topological phenomena and their functional control to the design and test of application-relevant device concepts.

Involved Institutions:

• Bayerisches Zentrum für Angewandte Energieforschung e.V. (ZAE Bayern)
• Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) Hochfeld-Magnetlabor Dresden
• Leibniz-Institut für Festkörper- und Werkstoffforschung Dresden (IFW) e.V.
• Max-Planck-Institut für Chemische Physik fester Stoffe
• Max-Planck-Institut für Physik komplexer Systeme