▁starting ▁his ▁work ▁on ▁ult rac old ▁quantum ▁g ases ▁in ▁optical ▁l att ices . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁he ▁moved ▁to ▁a ▁full ▁professor ▁position ▁in ▁experimental ▁physics ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Main z , ▁where ▁he ▁stayed ▁until ▁ 2 0 0 9 . ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁he ▁was ▁appointed ▁scientific ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁newly ▁founded ▁division ▁on ▁Quant um ▁Many - Body ▁Systems ▁at ▁the ▁Max ▁Plan ck ▁Institute ▁of ▁Quant um ▁Opt ics , ▁in ▁G arch ing . ▁Since ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁he ▁has ▁been ▁vice - de an ▁at ▁the ▁department ▁of ▁physics ▁of ▁L M U ▁and , ▁since ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁man aging ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁Max ▁Plan ck ▁Institute ▁of ▁Quant um ▁Opt ics . ▁ ▁Research ▁The ▁work ▁of ▁the ▁phys ic ist ▁is ▁concentr ated ▁on ▁the ▁investigation ▁of ▁quantum ▁many - body ▁system ▁using ▁ult rac old ▁atoms ▁stored ▁in ▁optical ▁lattice ▁potential s . ▁Among ▁other ▁things , ▁he ▁is ▁known ▁for ▁the ▁real ization ▁of ▁a ▁quantum ▁phase ▁transition ▁from ▁a ▁super fl uid ▁to ▁a ▁M ott ▁ins ulator , ▁in ▁which ▁ult rac old ▁atoms ▁were ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁brought ▁into ▁the ▁regime ▁of ▁strong ▁correl ations ▁thereby ▁allowing ▁one ▁to ▁m im ic ▁the ▁behaviour ▁strongly ▁correl ated ▁materials . ▁The ▁experimental ▁ideas ▁were ▁based ▁on ▁a ▁theoretical ▁proposal ▁by ▁Peter ▁Z ol ler ▁and ▁Ig na cio ▁Ci rac . ▁His ▁further