From fundamental physics related to Einstein’s special theory of relativity to fundamentals of metrological applications in the range of thousandths of micrometers (i.e. nanometers) – the bandwidth of this year’s Helmholtz Prize is considerable. The Helmholtz Prize, which recognizes outstanding scientific and technological research in the field of precision measurement in physics, chemistry and medicine, is awarded every second year. Three scientists at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) have been awarded the prize in fundamental research for their work. By means of a long-term comparison between two highly accurate clocks (optical ytterbium clocks) of PTB, Christian Sanner, Nils Huntemann and Richard Lange have succeeded in considerably improving the procedure to test the fundamental symmetry of space (Lorentz symmetry) for electrons. The Helmholtz Prize in applied metrology has been awarded to a team consisting of nine researchers from the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and from the University of Freiburg working with the physicist Saskia F. Fischer from Berlin and the microsystems expert Peter Woias from Freiburg. This group has also broken new ground by laying down the scientific and technical prerequisites to standardize the measurement of individual nanostructures. In metrology, the science of precise measurement, the Helmholtz Prize is considered one of the world’s most prominent distinctions. The prize is awarded in two categories – fundamental research and applied metrology – and endowed with €20,000 in prize money.
