Prof. Dr. Giacomo Valtolina becomes Visiting Professor at HU Berlin

Prof. Dr. Giacomo Valtolina, former head of the research group “Molecular Quantum Matter” in the Molecular Physics Department of the Fritz Haber Institute, has been appointed as a Visiting Professor at Humboldt Universität zu Berlin. This professorship is linked to his ERC Starting Grant and runs from January 1, 2026 to the end of 2028.

Education and Career

2026: Visiting W2-Professorship at Humboldt Universität zu Berlin

2024: ERC Starting Grant for the project "LIRICO"

2021-2025: Research group leader of the "Molecular Quantum Matter" in the Department of Molecular Physics at the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society

2017-2021: Postdoctoral Research Associate at JILA (Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics), a collaboration between University of Colorado Boulder and NIST (the National Institute of Standards and Technology)

2017: PhD at the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa in collaboration with LENS - Florence, under the guidance of Prof. Massimo Inguscio and Dr. Giacomo Roati

2012: Master Degree in Physics from the Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca

Research focus at the FHI

At the Fritz Haber Institute, Prof. Dr. Valtolina has been leading the experimental research group “Molecular Quantum Matter” in the Molecular Physics Department. His group focused on the study of ultracold matter, thus exploring new regimes in experimental quantum science at the interface of quantum simulation, state-resolved chemistry, and precision measurements. They used lasers to cool gases of atoms and molecules to temperatures less than a millionth of a degree above absolute zero. At these extremely cold temperatures, the quantum properties of matter become clearly apparent and the physics of the systems changes: fascinating phases and phenomena appear, such as superconductivity. The goal of Valtolina’s group was to achieve a very special phase transition, namely a so-called Bose-Einstein condensate with molecules. In 2023, Prof. Valtolina received one of the renowned ERC Starting Grants for his project "LIght for controlling Reactive Interactions in COld molecules - LIRICO". In 2024, the group realized the first atomic Bose-Einstein-Condensate in Berlin.

Research focus at the new position at HU Berlin

At Humboldt Universität, Valtolina’s group will use the recent results from the research group at the Fritz Haber Institute as a stepping stone for doing more exotic quantum science. They want to investigate exotic regimes of supersolidity, a paradoxical phase that features both superfluidity and crystalline order. They aim to study supersolidity first with atomic condensates and then translate their knowledge to molecular systems, where this phenomenon has not been realized yet. The rich internal structure of molecules can offer new degrees of freedom for the stabilization of these exotic phases.

Interview Highlights

1. How did you come to FHI and when?

I came to the Fritz Haber Institute in February 2021 as I had been invited by Gerard Meijer, Director of the Molecular Physics Department, and Stefan Truppe, who at that time was a group leader in the same department. They contacted me to start a new project on ultracold atoms and molecules.

2. What did you do here?

I built an experiment for making ultracold gases of dysprosium atoms. We used a combination of laser cooling and trapping techniques to achieve temperatures of the order of few nano-Kelvin. Ultracold gases have the coldest temperature in the Universe and we use them as highly controllable quantum systems that “mimic” the behavior of other very interesting but challenging-to-investigate systems, such as high-temperature superconductors. This approach is often called quantum simulation and is one of the many applications that ultracold atoms offer in the context of quantum technologies. My group achieved in October 2024 the first Bose-Einstein Condensate ever in Berlin. We used dysprosium atoms because they offer very unique interactions, called dipolar interactions, that come from dysprosium’s large magnetic dipole moment. We wanted to use these dipolar interactions to observe new phases of matter such as super-solidity but also to create a new type of magnetic molecules, which can offer new opportunities for studying quantum-state-resolved chemistry.

3. How was the collaboration within your team?

The Molecular Physics Department is a very multidisciplinary and inspiring work space. The mechanical workshop and electronic lab provided a great technical support for my challenging experiments. In particular, I really thank Marco De Pas, Sebastian Kray, Nicolai Große and Henrik Haak.

4. What have you taken away for your professional future?

The importance of networking within and outside your own institution.

5. What awaits you at your new position?

I really like teaching and interacting with students in the early phase of their carrier. I was given two fully renovated labs in Adlershof, where we will expand our research and try to involve more bachelor and master students in the process. I am looking forward to that!