Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics in Germany

King Saud University seeks to achieve a qualitative leap towards excellence and creativity at the regional and international levels, in line with the support that higher education in general and scientific research in particular receives from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince - may God protect them - and their generous directives to support university education and scientific research in all fields of science and knowledge.

In January 2008, a delegation of senior officials and scientists from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, accompanied by His Excellency the Minister of Higher Education and His Excellency the Director of King Saud University, visited the Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics in Germany for the purpose of cooperation. This visit was the first step towards a future of long-term cooperation in the fields of advanced laser research and its applications in the field of nanotechnology and nanotechnology. One of the fruits of that visit was that it facilitated the activation of a successful research cooperation for King Saud University by establishing a remote research laboratory (Satellite Lab) at the Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics in Germany, which is one of the most famous institutes in the world for its interest in the latest developments in modern science in the field of advanced laser research and its applications, and which includes prominent scientists in this field. The remote laboratory (Satellite Lab) provides a research environment with integrated human and equipment capabilities for Saudi researchers outside the borders of the country, which will enable them to transfer knowledge and advanced technologies to the country through King Saud University and will enhance the role of the university as a research reference. The cooperation project between King Saud University and the Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics in Germany aims to establish research programs affiliated with the university at a world-class level in the field of advanced laser research in the fields of laser technologies, nanotechnology, quantum technologies, in addition to energy and electronics technologies. The Institute is represented in Germany by Professor Theodor Hänsch, Nobel Prize winner in the field of laser spectroscopy, in addition to another field supervised by Professor Werner Krauss related to high-field physics and attosecond physics.

Through this scientific cooperation, the opportunity is opened for PhD students from the Department of Physics and Astronomy at King Saud University to cooperate with scientists and researchers from the Institute to create and develop new technologies using innovative radiation sources that lead to very intense and synchronous light pulses over very short periods of time. The research team on the University side is led by Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed Al-Zeer. Through this cooperation, globally competitive research results were obtained that were published in prestigious scientific journals such as Nature and Science and international scientific journals listed in the databases of the Institute of Scientific Information.

Collaborating Institutions

King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Institute for Nanotechnology Research (Nano) was established under the generous patronage of the wise leadership in the Kingdom, which hastened to provide the utmost attention and care, and all means and ways of support to advance the scientific research and development process, which is reflected in contributing to supporting the knowledge economy and society.

The Institute contains advanced and specialized laboratories, and has a number of distinguished researchers and specialists in various basic and applied fields such as the physics and chemistry of nanoparticles, renewable energy, water purification, and nanomedicine. In addition, distinguished and specialized faculty members in the field of nanoscience and technology from various colleges of the university such as science, engineering, agriculture, pharmacy, and others participate in cooperation with the Institute and benefit from its capabilities and distinguished laboratories, and attract graduate students in this vital field.

For more information about the King Abdullah Institute for Nanotechnology, please visit the website.