Physicist Markus Aspelmeyer Wins the 2026 Wittgenstein Prize
The prestigious FWF Wittgenstein Prize—often referred to as the “Austrian Nobel Prize”—goes this year to the Viennese quantum physicist Markus Aspelmeyer. Through laboratory experiments that are unique worldwide, this leading researcher is pursuing one of the universe’s greatest mysteries: he aims to reconcile the bizarre laws of the quantum world with Albert Einstein’s theory of gravity. The prize money, worth millions, will now give his team the staying power needed for this historic endeavor.
Breaking New Ground in Quantum Physics: Markus Aspelmeyer is Austria’s 2026 FWF Wittgenstein Award winner. / Picture: © FWF/Der Knopfdrücker
It is perhaps the greatest unsolved mystery of modern physics: How can Albert Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity and the laws of quantum mechanics be reconciled? While Einstein’s theory perfectly describes gravity and the continuous fabric of space and time for large objects such as planets, the world of the smallest particles is governed by quantum physics with its probabilities and bizarre superposition states. The worldviews of these two theories are actually mutually exclusive.
It is precisely at this fundamental intersection that quantum physicist Markus Aspelmeyer conducts his research. For his globally unique experiments, the 52-year-old professor at the University of Vienna and director of the Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information (IQOQI) at the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW) has now been awarded the 2026 FWF Wittgenstein Prize. Also known as the “Austrian Nobel Prize,” the award comes with a prize of two million euros and is considered Austria’s highest and most prestigious individual scientific grant.
The Wittgenstein Prize has been awarded annually by the FWF since 1996. Previous laureates include renowned researchers such as Anton Zeilinger (2005) and quantum physicist Peter Zoller (1998).
Making the Impossible Measurable: Gold Nuggets and Grains of Sand
The international panel of experts described Aspelmeyer’s research program as “an investment in one of the most ambitious projects in modern physics.” The team led by the Bavarian-born scientist is attempting to bridge the fundamental gap between the two pillars of physics from two sides simultaneously.
On one side, there is the theme of expanding the quantum world. The researchers are causing increasingly larger objects to behave according to the laws of quantum mechanics. They are currently experimenting with a tiny glass sphere the size of a grain of sand (approximately half a micrometer in diameter, consisting of about one billion atoms). This sphere is held in suspension by a laser in a vacuum chamber and cooled to such an extreme temperature (near absolute zero at minus 273 degrees Celsius) that it exhibits quantum properties. The goal is to test whether such an object can exist in two places at once—and what that means for the spacetime it curves.
Then there is measuring Gravity on a Micro Scale. The scientists are measuring the gravitational pull of increasingly smaller objects. As early as 2021, Aspelmeyer’s team set a historic record: they were able to measure the gravitational field of a gold sphere just one millimeter in diameter (weighing 90 milligrams, about as much as a ladybug). Its gravitational pull is 30 billion times weaker than that of Earth.
“Ultimately, it will be an object so small that it’s barely visible to the naked eye, yet it will exhibit quantum effects—and we’ll still be able to measure its gravitational field,” Aspelmeyer explains. “That’s where the journey is headed.”
Reaching the goal in 17 years?
According to the physicist, there is still a long way to go before a final theory of quantum gravity is achieved. If the mass under investigation could be increased a hundredfold in the quantum realm and reduced by a factor of 100 in the gravitational realm, the goal would be reached. When asked when a breakthrough can be expected, the researcher replies with a wink: “In 17 years—because it’s unrealistic to expect it sooner, and it can’t take any longer due to the European system of mandatory retirement.”
Support for this long-term project comes not only from the new Wittgenstein Prize money, which Aspelmeyer plans to invest in expanding his team, but also from a “Synergy Grant” from the European Research Council (ERC), worth 13 million euros, which he received back in 2020.
The Philosopher Among Top Researchers
Markus Aspelmeyer himself is considered one of the founders of modern quantum optomechanics. This field investigates the coupling between light (photons) and mechanical mirrors or floating particles in the quantum regime. An interesting side note: Aspelmeyer, who moved from Munich to Vienna in 2002 as a postdoc to join the research group of future Nobel laureate Anton Zeilinger, studied philosophy in addition to physics. While that doesn’t help when it comes to turning a screwdriver in the lab, it does sharpen one’s ability to critically question existing dogmas: “The fact that gravity and quantum physics are based on worldviews that are mutually exclusive is simply a philosopher’s dream.”
Congratulations on the laureate, which came from the highest levels. Science Minister Eva-Maria Holzleitner emphasized that Aspelmeyer is adding another promising chapter to the internationally recognized success story of the Austrian quantum community. ÖAW President Heinz Faßmann described him as “a beacon that shapes the entire scientific landscape.”
Record Funding for Early-Career Researchers: The ASTRA Awards
The Wittgenstein Prize was not the only million-euro grant awarded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) in this round. As part of a comprehensive program reform, the FWF distributed a total of approximately 24 million euros.
In addition to the main prize, 18 FWF-ASTRA Prizes—each worth approximately one million euros over the next five years—were awarded to promising postdoctoral researchers at the top of their fields. Particularly encouraging: With eleven women, more female scientists than men prevailed in the highly competitive selection process. Four of these ASTRA awards went to the University of Vienna (Matija Bucic, Katja Fahrion, Bettina Glasl, Sarah Pati) and one to linguist Isabella Fritz of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW).