Chantal Müller Chantal Müller studied physics at the Free University of Berlin, earning both her bachelor's and master's degrees. She completed her master's thesis in the research group of Prof. Dr. Stefanie Reich. For her research project, titled 'Collective Optical Excitations in Molecular Monolayers on Two-Dimensional Materials', she produced molecular nanofilms to study how molecular arrangement affects collective excitations.

Since autumn 2024, Chantal Müller has been pursuing her doctorate at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB). As part of Dr Christian Monte's team, she is developing a calibration concept for Earth observation satellites, which aims to ensure long-term data quality by making continuous reference measurements from both the ground and the air.

"Thank you to everyone who supported me throughout my studies – especially my fellow students and supervisors, " said Chantal Müller. "I couldn't have done it without you!"

Anton Halaski earned both his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Physics from Freie Universität Berlin, specializing in theoretical physics. He completed his theses on topics in quantum physics within the research group of Prof. Dr. Christiane Koch. Following his Master’s degree, he seamlessly transitioned into doctoral studies and is now continuing his scientific activities in the Koch Group. He is now exploring “Parity Measurements for Continuous Quantum Error Correction of Superconducting Qubits” as part of his doctoral research.

"The award marks the end of my studies, which I remember as a very special time, and at the same time, it represents the beginning of a new chapter in life," says Anton Halaski. "I’m excited to see what the future holds." He already has his first first-author publication to his name.

Jacopo Venturin studied physics at the University of Florence before joining Freie Universität Berlin in 2022. Through the International Max Planck Research School’s Fast Track program, he was able to begin research in the groups of Prof. Dr. Cecilia Clementi and Prof. Dr. Frank Noé with just his Bachelor's degree.

While pursuing his PhD on the topic “Machine Learned Coarse-Grained Model for Proteins: Incorporation of Long-Range and Thermodynamic Effects,” he also completed a Master’s degree in Physics at Freie Universität Berlin — with excellent results now recognized by the PGzB.

"It is an honor to receive this recognition, which is also a result of the supportive and collaborative environment within the Clementi group”, says Jacopo Venturin.

We wish the award recipients continued success in their scientific careers!