In this FAU LMQ People Spotlight, we interviewed the researcher Jasper Freitag, who works at the Research Unit Institute of Microwaves and Photonics (LHFT) at FAU.
What is your research topic? What is your current role?
I am working toward a PhD in Electrical Engineering in Prof. Schmauss’ group. My research focuses on novel sensor concepts based on optically trapped microparticles in hollow-core fibers, enabling multiparameter sensing with high spatial resolution by mapping sensor readouts to the particle position measured via optical frequency-domain reflectometry.
How is your research linked to the research foci of the FAU LMQ?
My research links to FAU LMQ by combining light-matter interaction in hollow-core fibers with sensing applications. Optically trapped, functionalized microparticles (e.g., europium-doped particles with luminescence-lifetime readout) act as in-fiber microsensors, enabling remote readout of local environmental conditions. This creates a “micro-laboratory” for advanced sensing and controlled, non-destructive studies of quantum-optical phenomena.
What do you find most fascinating in your research?
I enjoy building clear intuition for complex, initially opaque systems. When the pieces finally click into a coherent picture, it usually reveals even better questions and a new puzzle to solve.
When I am not working at the FAU, then …
… I like traveling with friends, ideally by bike. I also enjoy long walks with my wife.
Do you have a secret talent?
I can usually tell right away when an idea really fascinates me, and from that moment on I am highly enthusiastic and optimistic about it. That energy helps me keep momentum through long experimental iterations.
What does a typical day in your working life look like?
My day-to-day has changed a lot over the course of my PhD, ranging from dense phases of planning, theory, and experiments to periods focused on data analysis and writing. What has not changed are the peculiar early lunch break at 11:00 and the almost obligatory coffee break at 15:00.
What are your plans for the future?
I will submit my PhD thesis soon. In the coming months, I will transition from my current institute to a new role, where I hope to contribute my photonics expertise and enthusiasm, and I am excited to see where the journey takes me next.
(Photo on the top: TF FAU | FATHER&SUN)
In this FAU LMQ People Spotlight, we interviewed the researcher Jasper Freitag, who works at the Research Unit Institute of Microwaves and Photonics (LHFT) at FAU.
What is your research topic? What is your current role?
I am working toward a PhD in Electrical Engineering in Prof. Schmauss’ group. My research focuses on novel sensor concepts based on optically trapped microparticles in hollow-core fibers, enabling multiparameter sensing with high spatial resolution by mapping sensor readouts to the particle position measured via optical frequency-domain reflectometry.
How is your research linked to the research foci of the FAU LMQ?
My research links to FAU LMQ by combining light-matter interaction in hollow-core fibers with sensing applications. Optically trapped, functionalized microparticles (e.g., europium-doped particles with luminescence-lifetime readout) act as in-fiber microsensors, enabling remote readout of local environmental conditions. This creates a “micro-laboratory” for advanced sensing and controlled, non-destructive studies of quantum-optical phenomena.
What do you find most fascinating in your research?
I enjoy building clear intuition for complex, initially opaque systems. When the pieces finally click into a coherent picture, it usually reveals even better questions and a new puzzle to solve.
When I am not working at the FAU, then …
… I like traveling with friends, ideally by bike. I also enjoy long walks with my wife.
Do you have a secret talent?
I can usually tell right away when an idea really fascinates me, and from that moment on I am highly enthusiastic and optimistic about it. That energy helps me keep momentum through long experimental iterations.
What does a typical day in your working life look like?
My day-to-day has changed a lot over the course of my PhD, ranging from dense phases of planning, theory, and experiments to periods focused on data analysis and writing. What has not changed are the peculiar early lunch break at 11:00 and the almost obligatory coffee break at 15:00.
What are your plans for the future?
I will submit my PhD thesis soon. In the coming months, I will transition from my current institute to a new role, where I hope to contribute my photonics expertise and enthusiasm, and I am excited to see where the journey takes me next.
(Photo on the top: TF FAU | FATHER&SUN)