Prestigious recognition for scientific excellence
On June 26, 2026, Tilman Pfau was elected a foreign member of the Polish Academy of Sciences (Polska Akademia Nauk, PAN). Foreign members are scientists who have distinguished themselves through exceptional research achievements and high international standing. The election is carried out by the members of the Academy and is considered one of the highest scientific honors that Poland awards to researchers from abroad. Membership entails participation in the Academy’s scientific activities as well as the promotion of international cooperation.
Recognition of scientific excellence and international collaboration
With this election, the Polish Academy of Sciences recognizes not only Tilman Pfau’s outstanding scientific achievements but also his contributions to international collaboration and his longstanding commitment to physics education and outreach. His election as a foreign member reflects the international recognition of his pioneering research on ultracold quantum gases, Rydberg atoms, and quantum matter. Through this work, he has made lasting contributions to atomic, molecular, and optical physics, significantly advancing the broader field of modern quantum physics.
Tilman Pfau’s election also underscores the long-standing, close scientific ties between the University of Stuttgart and the Center for Theoretical Physics at the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN) in Warsaw. A visible symbol of this connection is the honorary doctorate awarded by the University of Stuttgart to the renowned Polish theoretical physicist Kazik Rzążewski in 2014. As a member of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Rzążewski has a significant influence on atomic and quantum physics for decades and has played a decisive role in promoting scientific exchange between Poland and Germany. Since 2026, Tilman Pfau has served as Vice Chairman of the International Scientific Advisory Board of the Center for Quantum-Enabled Computing, which is based at the PAN. This Polish-German collaboration will be further strengthened through the joint European project ‘Quantum Research and Applied Knowledge’ (Teaming for Excellence), which aims to develop the Center for Theoretical Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences into a Center of Excellence.