8 April 2026

SKM Dissertation Prize and TUM Doctoral Thesis Award for Valentin Leeb

At the DPG Spring Meeting in Mainz, the Condensed Matter Section (SKM) announced this year's Dissertation Prize winners. Dr. Valentin Leeb, affiliated with the University of Zurich and the Technical University of Munich, was awarded one of the two prizes for his thesis "Anomalous Quantum Oscillations beyond Onsager's Fermi Surface Paradigm", completed under the supervision of MCQST member and TUM Professor Johannes Knolle.

Sarah Köster, spokesperson for the Condensed Matter Section (SKM), explains: “The SKM Dissertation Prize is awarded for particularly outstanding doctoral theses, and every year we are impressed by the scientific quality of the work and the presentation skills of our young colleagues.”

Quantum oscillations are a well-established experimental technique for probing the electronic band structure of metals. In his thesis, Leeb demonstrated that quantum effects can break the one-to-one correspondence between these oscillations and the underlying band structure — a result that calls for a fundamental reinterpretation of experimental data in the field.

This finding is especially timely in light of the growing interest in quantum materials, where conventional interpretive frameworks may no longer apply. The work bridges theory and experiment in a direct and consequential way: as a theorist, Leeb focused on phenomena that can be directly observed in real materials — a cross-disciplinary approach that defined the spirit of the entire project.

"To me, this prize highlights the importance of working across disciplines — there is so much existing knowledge that we just need to connect. It means a lot to me to have this collaborative effort recognized by the community."
— Dr. Valentin Leeb

This is not the first distinction recognizing Valentin’s excellent work. In November 2025, he received the TUM Doctoral thesis award, awarded by Joachim Post (BMW) and TUM President Thomas F. Hofmann.

After the PhD: from postdoc to policy

Following his doctoral studies, Leeb joined the group of Titus Neupert at the University of Zurich as a postdoctoral researcher, working on unconventional magnets and the use of quantum computing for climate dynamics simulation.

He is currently at the German Bundestag, serving as a scientific advisor to Member of Parliament Julian Joswig as part of a three-month fellowship. There, he contributes expertise on decarbonization, industrial resilience, and the competitiveness of the German economy — a testament to the broader impact that fundamental physics research can have beyond academia.

Congratulations to Valentin on this well-deserved recognition, and best of luck in all future endeavours.