Condensed Matter Physicist Prof. Dr. Stephanie Reich

Professor Dr. Stephanie Reich conducts research in experimental condensed matter physics. Her research group focuses on materials and structures at the nanoscale and investigates, among other things, graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides, carbon nanotubes, and plasmonic nanostructures. The group focuses on light-matter interactions and their applications in nanophotonics.

Prof. Dr. Stephanie Reich successfully established a new Collaborative Research Center at Freie Universität Berlin: CRC 1772 “Heterostructures of Molecules and Two-Dimensional Materials” (mol2Dmat). Since October 2025, researchers from physics and chemistry have been working together at the interface of molecular design and condensed matter physics. They are investigating the fundamental principles underlying a new class of heterostructures composed of organic materials and atomically thin crystal layers. Their research focuses on the optoelectronic properties, interactions, and charge distribution in these newly synthesized materials, as well as on ways of precisely controlling these properties.

Prof. Dr. Stephanie Reich is spokesperson of CRC 1772 and leading the project A01 - Collective excited states in molecular lattices.

Nanophysicist Prof. Dr. Katharina Franke

Professor Dr. Katharina Franke is a renowned nanophysicist who has led numerous national and international research projects. Her research group investigates the physical and chemical properties of single molecules and nanostructures on surfaces and explores how these properties can be precisely controlled at the nanoscale. One focus is on the interplay between magnetism and superconductivity, as well as on transport and switching processes in individual molecules.

Professor Franke has played a key role in establishing a new Cluster of Excellence at Freie Universität Berlin, which began its work in 2026. The research consortium “Center for Chiral Electronics” (EXC 3112) brings together fundamental research in Berlin, Regensburg, and Halle and aims to advance the development of concepts for energy-efficient electronics. At the Center for Chiral Electronics, researchers investigate the unique properties of chirality in condensed matter and molecular systems, laying the foundations for next-generation electronic technologies – including energy-efficient, high-performance materials that can help meet the global demand for sustainable digital infrastructure. Prof. Dr. Katharina Franke is co-spokesperson of the Cluster of Excellence EXC 3112.

Within CRC 1772 she is leading the project B03 - Atomic-scale investigations of charge transfer and excitonic states in mo2Dmat heterostructures.