The German Future Prize was awarded to Michael Kösters, who works at Trumpf, together with colleagues from Zeiss and the Fraunhofer IOF in Jena for their contribution to the development of EUV lithography, which can be used to manufacture microelectronic components with extremely fine structures. A year ago, the jury said that "by using light in the extreme ultraviolet, the researchers have taken the method of optical lithography, which is well established in chip manufacturing, to a new level." The new process should make it possible to produce microchips that are particularly powerful and energy-efficient.
Michael Kösters supports physics teaching at the University of Bonn with part of the prize money so that junior researchers of the future are introduced to modern methods at an early stage. "The University of Bonn is my alma mater, and I have fond memories of my undergraduate and doctoral years. I want to give something back from that," says Michael Kösters. He obtained his PhD in physics in Bonn and worked at the Institute of Physics as a research assistant before moving into industry. "We congratulate Dr. Michael Kösters on his great success and are delighted that he still feels connected to the university," says Prof. Dr. Dieter Meschede from the Institute of Applied Physics.
The already completed apparatus was developed in a bachelor thesis and illustrates Fourier optics. This describes the propagation of light in a mathematical way using the so-called Fourier transform. The new demo experiment makes it possible to "watch" in detail how the mathematical processes impressively transform a picture of Albert Einstein into that of Marylin Monroe. The experiment will be used in the optics lectures of physics courses, but is also available to schools as part of the Physics Workshop Rhineland. A specially produced instructional video further illustrates Fourier optics.
Video illustrating Fourier optics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhDvEMEYxKM
