Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems: Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems

The Max Planck Institute represents the physics of complex systems from classical physics right up to quantum physics in three focal points formed by research in three permanent departments. In quantum physics, the Depart­ment of Condensed Matter Physics does research in solid-state physics. With the assistance of semi-classical methods the Department of Finite Systems studies non-linear phenomena in atomic, mo­­lec­­ular and cluster dynamics. In classical physics, the Biological Physics Department addresses biological topics with the use of statistical physics. A permanent as well as three non-tenured research groups, three junior research groups and one Emmy-Noether group strengthen and interconnect the research of individual groups in areas such as non-linear time-series analysis, mesoscopic systems, intense laser fields in media, stochastic processes in biophysics, bio­­logical physics of olfaction, motor systems, dy­­namics of biological networks, as well as non-linear and relativistic optics. A large guest programme allows for ap­­prox­­imately 70 visiting scientists from more than 20 nations to do research at the institute, at a time as well as to conduct 15 to 20 workshops per year. The latter offer a forum for new re­­search fields and have the ob­­jective of rapidly acquainting young scientists with the new developing areas.