Start
As part of Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), the Erlangen Graduate School in Advanced Optical Technologies (SAOT) acts as an interdisciplinary hub for research on photonics and optical technologies in Erlangen. SAOT provides an Education Program of Excellence for national and international doctoral candidates, including Workshops, Seminars, and Academies. Furthermore, SAOT increases Science Communication and the Scientific Outreach to the general public in the fields of photonics and optical technologies.
panOPTICUM – More Info Check on open positions
Find us on LinkedIn 
Below, our latest news are listed.
We are proud to present a new exhibition at the Nuremberg Deutsches Museum - The Future Museum.
The exhibition is called "Ways of Light: Light and Shadows" and was lovingly created by the SAOT, more specifically by Max Gmelch and Dagny Müller. The exhibition covers four main topics, showing how s...
The SAOT Winter Academy 2026 brought together bright minds in the stunning landscape of Franconian Switzerland for a week of cutting-edge science and adventure. A standout moment was Dr. Felix Grasbon’s course, which brilliantly bridged knowledge and real-world intellectual property issues. Between ...
At the Long Night of Sciences last Saturday, SAOT was involved threefold:
More than 600 people visited our panOPTICUM to learn about photonics and optical technologies. We were honored to welcome Bavarian Minister of the Interior Joachim Herrmann as a special guest. Thank you all for your curiosi...
The SAOT Summer Academy 2025 brought together bright minds in the stunning landscape of Franconian Switzerland for a week of cutting-edge science and adventure. A standout moment was Dr. Rose Mary’s course, “Femtosecond Laser Micromachining: From Fundamentals to Applications,” which brilliantly brid...
Erlangen, June 2025 – This year’s Summer School offered a dynamic platform for cultural and academic exchange between doctoral candidates from the Erlangen Graduate School in Advanced Optical Technologies (SAOT) and their fellow researchers from Princeton, Rowan, and Rutgers universities in the USA....
