Michael Barth

Dr. Michael Barth is fascinated by light. So much so that the 30 year-old physicist at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin decided to make light the focus of his research and the central theme of his dissertation. And quite successfully so: in 2010, he was awarded the Adlershof Dissertation Prize.

Michael Barth completed his dissertation, which examined the manufacturing and investigation of nanophotonic elements, at Adlershof Campus. As core elements in would-be optical quantum computers, these tiny components actually have the potential to turn the world of computers on its head. 

Quantum computers are still very much a thing of the future and research is still in its infancy.  “But it’s worth it,” says Michael Barth. “Quantum computers would be vastly superior to conventional computers. They would be significantly faster and more efficient.”

The circuits of optical quantum computers don’t operate electronically but rather on the basis of light, and Michael Barth’s dissertation brought the development of these computers a little bit closer. He achieved significant progress in the generation and storage of light in the smallest of integrated optical systems. He also found a way to strengthen the interaction of light and matter in the millionth of a millimeter range. 

Key Advantage: High Speed

If developments such as these continue, new quantum computers could very interesting not only for research but also for business. “Codes would then be decrypted at a much higher speed,” notes Barth. This is an advantage that intelligence services, for example, could profit from. Even everyday processes, such as database searches, could be accelerated by quantum computers. 

When performing his research, Barth worked closely together with the Helmholtz Center Berlin for Materials and Energy. Intensive cooperation such as this is exactly why he values doing research in Berlin so highly: “The high number of scientific institutions is impressive, as is the close proximity to industry,” notes the physicist. “Whatever you need, you’ll find it in Berlin.”

Michael Barth came to Berlin five years ago. Before that, he studied physics in Chemnitz. “Even back then, I was more interested in optics than solid-state physics.  And when I finished my studies, I purposefully looked for a doctoral position that would fit my interests,” he says. Berlin offered everything he needed: “An interesting research environment and a great city to live in.”

Promoting Young Talent and Visiting Schools

But Michael Barth went even further than just performing research: in 2008, he joined together with other researchers to found the Gemeinschaft Berlin Optik (www.berlinoptik.de), an organization that works to make optics even more popular and to attract more young talent to science. It is financed by the USA’s largest association for optical sciences, the Optical Society of America. Barth explains: “We organize events and visits to companies and we’re looking to offer Optics Study Groups in schools as well.”

And yet, in spite of all the exciting projects and research opportunities, Michael Barth is most keen on business: “I want to put my experience to work in industry and also generate real and practical applications,” he says. Barth hopes that the research landscape in Berlin will continue to be so diverse and attractive for small and middle-sized companies. “And I hope that interest in the development of quantum computers does not abate. We’re on the right path and we should continue on it.”