Leading scientists on topological insulators met in Berlin

Outstanding researchers took part in the “New Trends in Topological Insulators 2014” - workshop.

Outstanding researchers took part in the “New Trends in Topological Insulators 2014” - workshop.

From July 7-10, 150 researchers met in Berlin to discuss recent findings in the field of topological insulators.

Topological insulators are a rather new form of quantum matter with an insulating bulk and a metallic surface created by topologically protected and spin polarized electronic states.

Outstanding researchers took part in the “New Trends in Topological Insulators 2014” - workshop, organized by Gustav Bihlmayer (Forschungszentrum Jülich) and Saskia Fischer (Humboldt University and Oliver Rader of HZB. 20 speakers had been invited for presentations, the 2012 Buckley Prize winners Shoucheng Zhang and Laurens W. Molenkamp (also Leibniz Prize 2014), Zhi-Xun Shen (Buckley prize 2011) and Yoichi Ando (2014 Inoue Prize for Science) being among them. 

Breakthrough results were delivered on topics such as optical excitation, electron-photon entangled states, the role of electron correlation as well as imaging of helical edge states and Majorana fermions.

The event took place on the premises of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences. It has been generously supported by DFG as well as HZB.

Oliver Rader / kmh

  • Copy link

You might also be interested in

  • Berlin Battery Lab: BAM, HZB and HU are conducting joint research on sodium batteries
    News
    19.03.2026
    Berlin Battery Lab: BAM, HZB and HU are conducting joint research on sodium batteries
    The Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM), the Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin (HZB) and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU) today officially inaugurated the Berlin Battery Lab (BBL). At this new research platform, BAM, HZB and HU jointly develop and test resource-efficient battery technologies with a focus on sodium-based systems. Together, they develop new materials, investigate innovative cell chemistries, and produce battery prototypes. The research infrastructure of the Berlin Battery Lab is also open to external partners from science and industry and is designed to accelerate the transfer from research to application.
  • Catalysis research at HZB gets new facility
    News
    06.03.2026
    Catalysis research at HZB gets new facility
    As part of the CatLab project, HZB has acquired a unique facility for measuring the catalytic performance of thin-film catalysts. Built by ILS in Adlershof, it has now been delivered. The facility consists of a total of eight chemical reactors in which catalytic systems can be tested. At over €2.5 million, this is the largest single investment in the CatLab project.
  • Protein crystallography at BESSY II: faster, better and more and more automatic
    Interview
    04.03.2026
    Protein crystallography at BESSY II: faster, better and more and more automatic
    Many diseases are linked to malfunctions of proteins in the organism. The three-dimensional architecture of these molecules is often highly complex, but it can provide valuable insights into biological processes and the development of drugs. X-ray diffraction at the MX beamlines of BESSY II can be used to decipher the 3D structure of proteins. To date, more than 5000 structures have been solved at the three MX beamlines. Here, we present a review and an outlook with  Manfred Weiss, head of the research group for macromolecular crystallography.