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Wilhelm and Else Heraeus-Foundation

Fundamental symmetry breaking is important to understanding the formation of our universe including baryogenesis and the homochirality of living organisms. It plays an important role in finding a more complete theory than the Standard Model of particle physics. In recent years, molecules have become a leading platform to search for such symmetry breakings through precision metrology as they exhibit enhanced sensitivity and in particular, their many degrees of freedom can be leveraged to isolate violations of fundamental symmetries from the background. However, in recent years, the molecular precision spectroscopy community has become focused on simultaneous parity and time reversal symmetry violation, overlooking the equal importance of time-reversal symmetry even, parity violating effects. For example, despite its prediction in the 1960s, the parity violating energy difference between mirror-images of chiral molecules is yet to be observed, which is crucial for our understanding of molecular chirality. Only recently several individual works rediscovered the unique opportunities of molecular parity violation, indicating even its undiscovered potential in revealing new physics. Moreover, recent advancements in molecular quantum control and molecular theory may bring the detection of molecular parity violation now in reach for the first time. This workshop will use the momentum of these recent advances to refocus the attention on molecular parity violation experiments and foster collaboration in the field.

Teilchenphysik und Felder,    Festkörperphysik

Wilhelm and Else Heraeus-Foundation

Geometrical confinement is relevant to various disciplines, ranging from the natural sciences via the life sciences to the material science field. Confinement effects have far-reaching influences. They shape efficient hydrodynamic flows, deepen the understanding of biological processes, advance carbon capture technologies, and provide new chemical reactivities. So far, much of the research has focused on demonstrating the importance of confinement in physical and chemical systems while neglecting the fundamental principles that govern these effects. Thus, not much is known about how and why exactly confinement effects modulate key physical phenomena, alter reactivities, or change product selectivity and material properties. As a result, essential questions remain unanswered — what are the underlying physical mechanisms at play in confinement, and how do they alter atomic interactions and influence dynamical properties?

Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden