Founded in 1973, the division is one of the largest professional associations of the German Physical Society (DPG). It comprises about 3,800 members - scientists, teachers and industrial physicists who deal with quantum optics and photonics. The Quantum Optics Group and the Photonics Group belong to this division.

Two research groups of Freie Universität Berlin who participate in the Quantum Optics Group are the Koch's group and Eisert's group. 

The research group of Prof. Dr. Christiane Koch investigates the quantum control of atoms, molecules and condensed matter systems with an AMO-like structure. 

The group of Prof. Dr. Jens Eisert researches quantum information theory, condensed matter theory and the intersection between the fields. 

Together with four other theoretical research groups at Freie Universität Berlin, they form the Dahlem Center for Complex Quantum Systems - an international center for collaboration between established and young researchers in the field of quantum physics.