Jürgen Mlynek

Jürgen Mlynek (born 15 March 1951, in Gronau,

Lower Saxony) is a German physicist and was Jürgen Mlynek
president of the Helmholtz Association of German Born 15 March 1951
Research Centres[1] from 2005 to 2015. Gronau, Lower Saxony, West
Germany
Alma mater University of Hannover
Biography École Polytechnique
Awards Max Born Prize (1996) Gottfried
Mlynek studied physics from 1970 to 1976 at the
Wilhelm Leibniz Prize (1992)
Technical University of Hannover and the École
Scientific career
Polytechnique in Paris. In 1979, he obtained his doctor
´s degree and habilitated in 1984. Doctoral Rudolf Grimm
students
Between 1976 and 1981, Mlynek was a scientific
assistant in Hannover. In 1982, he worked for one year as a post-doctoral fellow with the IBM Research
Laboratory in San Jose, California. After three years as an academic assistant in Hannover he became a
Heisenberg fellow of the German Research Foundation (DFG – Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft) in
1985. He served as assistant professor at the ETH Zurich from 1986 to 1990.

In 1990, Mlynek became a full professor for experimental physics at the University of Konstanz. There
he realized an atom inferometer for the first time and conducted groundbreaking experiments in the field
of atom optics and quantum optics. Among them are his works on the Heisenberg microscope and the
measurement of the Wigner function of the quantum state of matter and light. Since 2000 he has been
professor for experimental physics at the Humboldt University of Berlin.

From 1996 to 2001, he was vice president of the German Research Foundation (DFG) where he dedicated
himself to encouraging young academics. Between 2000 and 2005, Mlynek was president of the
Humboldt University. During his term of presidency, he had to implement a series of reforms due to
drastic reductions in order to downsize structures and to promote excellence. Besides, the sciences moved
from Berlin Mitte to Adlershof and it was decided to build the Grimm library in Berlin Mitte.

In 2005, shortly after his reelection as president of the Humboldt University, Mlynek switched to the
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres, Germany's largest science organization, and became
president. In June 2009, he was reelected for a second and last presidential term (2010–2015). During his
presidency, program-oriented research was enhanced and the Helmholtz mission was strengthened in
terms of strategic research for the national benefit. In addition, he developed new tools of strategic
cooperation with universities like Helmholtz alliances and Helmholtz Institutes.

In 2006, Mlynek was one of the co-founders of the foundation "Haus der kleinen Forscher" which was
supported by the Helmholtz Association from the beginning. It has now become the most successful
initiative on education for young children in the German speaking countries. Furthermore, he established
the Helmholtz Management Academy for teaching management techniques in the domain of science. The
academy is also open to partner organizations and universities.

Since September 2015 he has resumed teaching as a professor in the physics department of the Humboldt
University. Since the spring term in 2016, he has been officially released as a professor. Among his
offices are Chairman of the Board of Trustees at the Falling Walls Foundation, Chairman of the Strategic
Advisory Board of the European Quantum Technology Flagship Initiative, Chairman of the Foundation
Board at the "Stiftung Kinder forschen" ('Little Scientists Foundation'), Chairman of the Board of
Directors of the Wilhelm und Else Heraeus Foundation, as well as member of various university and
science committees (e.g. Chairman of the University Council at Leibniz University Hannover). Until
recently, he has been a longtime board member of the Holtzbrinck publishing group and of the company
Carl Zeiss.

Mlynek worked in the field of experimental quantum optics, atomic physics and surface physics. He has
published more than 200 papers (SCI:7875 / h-index:47).

He is married since 1972 to teacher Dagmar Mlynek and has two sons.

Honors and awards

Mlynek is a member of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, National
Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech) and the Academia Europaea.

1985 Heisenberg Fellow, German Research Foundation

1987 Physik-Preis, German Physical Society
1992 Gottfried-Wilhelm-Leibniz Preis, German Research Foundation
1996 Max-Born Preis, Institute of Physics and German Physical Society
2003 Urania Medal Berlin
2008 Order of Merit of Berlin
2009 Lower Saxony Order of Merit
2010 Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
2012 Honorary doctorate from the Faculty of Natural Sciences of the University of Ulm
2014 Ring of Honor of Garbsen
2019 Goldenes Ehrenzeichen für Verdienste um die Republik Österreichs 2019,
Präsidentschaftskanzlei Alexander Van der Bellen
2022 Honorary doctorate from Aalto University[2]

Selected publications
Lange, W.; Mlynek, J. (22 May 1978). "Quantum Beats in Transmission by Time-Resolved
Polarization Spectroscopy". Physical Review Letters. 40 (21). American Physical Society
(APS): 1373–1375. Bibcode:1978PhRvL..40.1373L (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1978
PhRvL..40.1373L). doi:10.1103/physrevlett.40.1373 (https://doi.org/10.1103%2Fphysrevlett.
40.1373). ISSN 0031-9007 (https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0031-9007).
Mlynek, J.; Wong, N. C.; DeVoe, R. G.; Kintzer, E. S.; Brewer, R. G. (28 March 1983).
"Raman Heterodyne Detection of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance". Physical Review Letters.
50 (13). American Physical Society (APS): 993–996. Bibcode:1983PhRvL..50..993M (http
s://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1983PhRvL..50..993M). doi:10.1103/physrevlett.50.993 (http
s://doi.org/10.1103%2Fphysrevlett.50.993). ISSN 0031-9007 (https://search.worldcat.org/iss
n/0031-9007).
Carnal, O.; Mlynek, J. (27 May 1991). "Young's double-slit experiment with atoms: A simple
atom interferometer" (http://elib.bsu.by/handle/123456789/154548). Physical Review
Letters. 66 (21). American Physical Society (APS): 2689–2692.
Bibcode:1991PhRvL..66.2689C (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1991PhRvL..66.2689C).
doi:10.1103/physrevlett.66.2689 (https://doi.org/10.1103%2Fphysrevlett.66.2689).
ISSN 0031-9007 (https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0031-9007). PMID 10043591 (https://pub
med.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10043591).
Carnal, O.; Sigel, M.; Sleator, T.; Takuma, H.; Mlynek, J. (2 December 1991). "Imaging and
focusing of atoms by a fresnel zone plate". Physical Review Letters. 67 (23). American
Physical Society (APS): 3231–3234. Bibcode:1991PhRvL..67.3231C (https://ui.adsabs.harv
ard.edu/abs/1991PhRvL..67.3231C). doi:10.1103/physrevlett.67.3231 (https://doi.org/10.110
3%2Fphysrevlett.67.3231). ISSN 0031-9007 (https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0031-9007).
PMID 10044680 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10044680).
Adams, C.S; Sigel, M; Mlynek, J (1994). "Atom optics" (https://doi.org/10.1016%2F0370-157
3%2894%2990066-3). Physics Reports. 240 (3). Elsevier BV: 143–210.
Bibcode:1994PhR...240..143A (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1994PhR...240..143A).
doi:10.1016/0370-1573(94)90066-3 (https://doi.org/10.1016%2F0370-1573%2894%299006
6-3). ISSN 0370-1573 (https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0370-1573).
Pfau, T.; Spälter, S.; Kurtsiefer, Ch.; Ekstrom, C. R.; Mlynek, J. (29 August 1994). "Loss of
Spatial Coherence by a Single Spontaneous Emission" (http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:b
sz:93-opus-47322). Physical Review Letters. 73 (9). American Physical Society (APS):
1223–1226. Bibcode:1994PhRvL..73.1223P (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1994PhRv
L..73.1223P). doi:10.1103/physrevlett.73.1223 (https://doi.org/10.1103%2Fphysrevlett.73.12
23). ISSN 0031-9007 (https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0031-9007). PMID 10057656 (https://
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10057656).
Seel, Stefan; Storz, Rafael; Ruoso, Giuseppe; Mlynek, Jürgen; Schiller, Stephan (23 June
1997). "Cryogenic Optical Resonators: A New Tool for Laser Frequency Stabilization at the 1
Hz Level". Physical Review Letters. 78 (25). American Physical Society (APS): 4741–4744.
Bibcode:1997PhRvL..78.4741S (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1997PhRvL..78.4741S).
doi:10.1103/physrevlett.78.4741 (https://doi.org/10.1103%2Fphysrevlett.78.4741).
ISSN 0031-9007 (https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0031-9007). S2CID 96462025 (https://api.
semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:96462025).
Kurtsiefer, Ch.; Pfau, T.; Mlynek, J. (1997). "Measurement of the Wigner function of an
ensemble of helium atoms". Nature. 386 (6621). Springer Nature: 150–153.
Bibcode:1997Natur.386..150K (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1997Natur.386..150K).
doi:10.1038/386150a0 (https://doi.org/10.1038%2F386150a0). ISSN 0028-0836 (https://sea
rch.worldcat.org/issn/0028-0836). S2CID 4359853 (https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusI
D:4359853).
Breitenbach, G.; Schiller, S.; Mlynek, J. (1997). "Measurement of the quantum states of
squeezed light". Nature. 387 (6632). Springer Nature: 471–475.
Bibcode:1997Natur.387..471B (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1997Natur.387..471B).
doi:10.1038/387471a0 (https://doi.org/10.1038%2F387471a0). ISSN 0028-0836 (https://sea
rch.worldcat.org/issn/0028-0836). S2CID 4259166 (https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusI
D:4259166).
Michaelis, J.; Hettich, C.; Mlynek, J.; Sandoghdar, V. (2000). "Optical microscopy using a
single-molecule light source". Nature. 405 (6784). Springer Nature: 325–328.
Bibcode:2000Natur.405..325M (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2000Natur.405..325M).
doi:10.1038/35012545 (https://doi.org/10.1038%2F35012545). ISSN 0028-0836 (https://sea
rch.worldcat.org/issn/0028-0836). PMID 10830956 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/108309
56). S2CID 1350535 (https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:1350535).
 Lvovsky, A. I.; Hansen, H.; Aichele, T.; Benson, O.; Mlynek, J.; Schiller, S. (11 July 2001).
"Quantum State Reconstruction of the Single-Photon Fock State". Physical Review Letters.
87 (5): 050402. arXiv:quant-ph/0101051 (https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0101051).
Bibcode:2001PhRvL..87e0402L (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2001PhRvL..87e0402L).
doi:10.1103/physrevlett.87.050402 (https://doi.org/10.1103%2Fphysrevlett.87.050402).
ISSN 0031-9007 (https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0031-9007). PMID 11497753 (https://pub
med.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11497753). S2CID 18527964 (https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusI
D:18527964).

References
1. "Jürgen Mlynek, Präsident der Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft, erhält Ehrendoktorwürde" (http://w
ww.helmholtz.de/aktuelles/presseinformationen/artikel/artikeldetail/juergen_mlynek_praesid
ent_der_helmholtz_gemeinschaft_erhaelt_ehrendoktorwuerde/) Archived (https://web.archiv
e.org/web/20140808044649/http://www.helmholtz.de/aktuelles/presseinformationen/artikel/a
rtikeldetail/juergen_mlynek_praesident_der_helmholtz_gemeinschaft_erhaelt_ehrendoktorw
uerde/) 8 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine.
2. "Honorary doctors in technology 2020 – 2022 | Aalto University" (https://www.aalto.fi/en/new
s/honorary-doctors-in-technology-2020-2022). www.aalto.fi. 13 April 2022. Retrieved
26 September 2022.

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