Chris Liebold
Stepping into a lab, working with real measurement equipment, and experiencing firsthand how physics research really works – that’s exactly what 50 high school students will be able to experience again this year at the 24th Ilmenau Physics Summer program hosted by Technische Universität Ilmenau. From September 7 to 11, 2026, the Institute of Physics will be transformed into a place where students can spend a week experimenting, conducting research, and discussing scientific topics.
Applications can be submitted through August 21, 2026, on the Institute of Physics’ website.
TU Ilmenau/Annika Mehlis“From Matter to Materials”: This year’s Physics Summer theme captures the central topics of the week: Participants will start with the smallest building blocks of matter and work their way, step by step, toward the properties of modern materials that shape today’s technology. Throughout the program, one central question keeps coming up: How do physical understanding and models translate into engineering applications with concrete societal benefits?
One example of this is superconductivity. Why does a material suddenly lose its electrical resistance when it is cooled sufficiently? And how can this effect be used to generate extremely strong magnetic fields? Or why are insulators much better suited for heat conduction at low temperatures than metals? It is precisely these phenomena that are the focus of the week, linking basic research with technical applications.
The Physics Summer Program is anything but pure theory. The students work in small groups on their own projects and choose one of several topic areas – ranging from laser physics and semiconductor devices to hard drives, light-emitting diodes, and superconducting sensors. They are supported by student tutors who guide them through literature reviews, experiments, and data analysis. At the end of the week, the groups present their findings in short presentations. The best presentations receive awards.
At the same time, they head to the lab. In the introductory physics lab course, participants conduct experiments similar to those that are part of the physics curriculum at TU Ilmenau. They measure, calibrate, observe, and experience firsthand how physical insights emerge from data. This hands-on work is supplemented by lectures from scientists at TU Ilmenau and the engineering faculties, who provide scientific context and further explore the topics.
But the Physics Summer program doesn’t just take place in lecture halls and labs. Participants stay at the Ilmenau Youth Hostel, get to know the university campus, and gain insights into student life. Conversations with students, evenings spent together, and recreational activities – such as a visit to the summer toboggan run – are just as much a part of the week as physics itself.
The Physics Summer has a long tradition at the Institute of Physics and has been held annually since 2001. It is specifically aimed at high school seniors from all over Germany who are interested in physics and technology, particularly those in advanced courses or specialized science tracks.
This year’s Physics Summer will once again be led by experimental physicist and Thuringian Research Award winner Professor Jörg Kröger. He is convinced: “At the end of the Physics Summer, participants will not only have gained a better understanding of physics, but they may also have made a very personal decision: Do I want to pursue studies in this field myself? That’s exactly what the Physics Summer provides – a space right in the midst of everyday university life, amid experiments, discussions, and new experiences.”