15 years of the PhotonLab: When curiosity leads to careers in physics

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A laser beam strikes a single hair. Light and dark stripes appear on a screen behind it: The light is diffracted by the hair, and its thickness can be calculated from the spacing of the stripes. What sounds like complicated measuring technology is something pupils can try out for themselves at the PhotonLab. The school laboratory is a collaborative initiative of LMU, the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics (MPQ), the Munich Center for Quantum Science and Technology (MCQST) Cluster of Excellence—in which LMU participates—and other partners. Since 2011, it has been teaching physics through hands-on experiments at the Garching Research Campus. “What I enjoy most is making complex physics understandable for pupils,” explains director Dr Silke Stähler-Schöpf.

The PhotonLab gives school classes an insight into cutting-edge research. At around 30 stations, the young people can investigate how light is guided through a jet of water, how music can be transmitted using laser light or how quantum cryptography works. Classes usually come from the ninth grade onward. They carry out experiments independently in small groups, with the help of various instructions. For older enthusiasts, there are also quantum courses and internships. In addition, more than 650 teachers have already attended training courses at the PhotonLab.

From initial experiments to sought-after school laboratory

The impetus for the lab’s foundation came from Ferenc Krausz, Professor of Experimental Physics at LMU and Director of the MPQ. As part of the Munich Center for Advanced Photonics (MAP) Cluster of Excellence, the now Nobel laureate in physics wanted to give young people the opportunity to conduct experiments for themselves and experience the fascination of physics. The first trial classes arrived in July 2011, after Stähler-Schöpf had designed the laboratory. Before taking on this role, the physics PhD graduate had spent many years guiding school classes through the Deutsches Museum. In Garching, she developed experiments which young people could do for themselves. “I am proud that I essentially set up the laboratory on my own and ran it for ten years,” Stähler-Schöpf recalls.

At that time, around 2,000 visitors and some 40 work experience students came each year. Stähler-Schöpf now works with a much larger team. Above all, additional support from Sonja Ertlová and Dr Moritz Dorband has made a big difference. She explains that the two of them, with their high level of expertise, have taken the laboratory to a whole new level. More than 28,000 people have visited the PhotonLab since it opened, she says.

“I’m absolutely delighted that the school laboratory has become such a success story,” Krausz stresses. “With the help of the school laboratory, we can nurture the next generation and get them excited about future technologies such as photonics as early as possible.” The PhotonLab is a wonderful opportunity to gain initial experience with lasers. To mark the anniversary, he extends his congratulations in particular to Stähler-Schöpf’s team and wishes the laboratory many more years of success.

“I keep meeting physicists who used to visit my lab when they were at school”

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Sometimes, years later, it becomes clear what impact a visit has had. “I’m always delighted when we can motivate individual pupils in school classes to take part in the German Young Physics Tournament (GYPT) or do an internship with us,” explains Stähler-Schöpf. Some go on to study physics and return to the PhotonLab as working students. One mother once wrote that, following his internship, her son finally knew what he wanted to study – and has been studying with much greater motivation ever since. One participant in the quantum physics course even remarked that it “should be compulsory for all thirteenth-grade classes in high schools across Germany”.

Yet the program goes beyond mere visits to the lab. Digital workbooks featuring videos and exercises prepare school classes for the experiments. The audio drama series ‘Alice in Quantumland’ is particularly close to Stähler-Schöpf’s heart. In it, Alice, along with her rabbit Rabbit and Schrödinger’s cat, embarks on adventures in a world governed by the laws of quantum physics. In this way, children learn in a fun, playful way about phenomena such as the quantum mechanical tunneling effect. Stähler-Schöpf initiated the project, and her colleague Dr. Veit Ziegelmaier and working student Sofie Silbermann then brought the idea to life with great attention to detail, she reports. In 2025, Stähler-Schöpf was awarded the Georg Kerschensteiner Prize for her work in physics education.

A fresh start after water damage

In July 2025, the PhotonLab suffered a major setback due to water damage. “All the experiments and laser benches were destroyed,” the doctor of physics reports. The laboratory was forced to close. However, the team procured new equipment and devoted countless hours to rebuilding the experiments. The school laboratory was re-established next door in a former attosecond physics laboratory – with more space and more modern equipment. An extra laser now makes it possible to change the color of its light by swapping out the end mirrors.

The closure during the COVID-19 pandemic had already prompted changes: Stähler-Schöpf used the time to apply for funding and later recruited additional staff. The Munich Center for Quantum Science and Technology (MCQST) Cluster of Excellence, in which LMU participates, supports the laboratory. Above and beyond financial support, the director values the good working relationship: “We often staff information booths together, shares ideas and support each another in many ways,” she explains.

New paths into the quantum world

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“The next three years will be dominated by two new projects, for which funding has been successfully secured thanks to the efforts of Dr Linda Qerimi,” Stähler-Schöpf explains. The “beQome” project, funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space, will launch in early November 2026. Together with LMU and other partners, the PhotonLab is developing interactive learning modules around career paths in quantum technologies. Plans include an experiment on quantum sensors and the PhotonLab’s own studies into the impact of the educational programs. Another goal is to strengthen collaboration with the Department of Physics Education at LMU. In addition, the PhotonLab is participating in a European project aimed at networking and disseminating knowledge about quantum physics.

On 12 November, the PhotonLab will celebrate its anniversary with a public evening event in the Herbert Walther Lecture Theater in Garching. The school laboratory will introduce itself from 6 pm. Next, physicist Gerhard Rempe will speak on the topic ‘What do you do when a photon goes missing?’. Guests will then be able to tour the laboratory. Anyone wishing to attend can register here.