6 August 2025

Honoring the pioneering research of Immanuel Bloch in the field of quantum simulation

Named after the ancient Chinese philosopher, the Micius Quantum Prize celebrates outstanding contributions to quantum science. Tdhis year, the award goes to Immanuel Bloch, co-speaker of MCQST and irector at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics and Professor at LMU Munich, alongside Tilman Esslinger (ETH Zurich) and Markus Greiner (Harvard University). The official award ceremony will take place in September at the International Conference on Emerging Quantum Technology in Hefei, China.

Established in 2018, the Micius Quantum Foundation supports the development of emerging quantum technologies and honours scientists who have made exceptional contributions to the field. The 2025 Micius Quantum Prize focuses on advances in quantum simulations and optical lattices.

Immanuel Bloch is one of three recipients recognised for his ground-breaking work in this area, together with fellow laureates Tilman Esslinger and Markus Greiner. The international jury awards the prize for “the pioneering experimental realization of bosonic and fermionic Hubbard models in optical lattices as analog quantum simulators of strongly interacting many-body systems for comprehensive investigations of quantum phases, transport, and topological phenomena.”

His research has fundamentally shaped the field of quantum simulation. Using ultracold atoms trapped in optical lattices, Immanuel Bloch and his team create highly controllable systems that mimic complex solid-state phenomena. These experiments have not only deepened our understanding of quantum many-body physics but also laid the groundwork for future quantum technologies.

“I am truly honored to receive this prestigious international award in quantum science and technology, especially knowing that that the prize has previously been awarded to many pioneers whose work I admire. I am also very happy to receive the prize together with my friends and long-time colleagues Tilman Esslinger and Markus Greiner,” comments awardee Immanuel Bloch.

Endowed with circa 150,000 USD, the prize will be presented during the International Conference on Emerging Quantum Technology 2025, held in Hefei. The Micius Quantum Foundation aims to promote the second quantum revolution and honours achievements in quantum communication, simulation, computation, and metrology. The Micius Quantum Prize highlights the impact of Immanuel Bloch’s research and underscores the role of quantum simulation in shaping the future of quantum technology.

Source: MPQ website