- Fascination for Materials
On Friday, October 11th, 2024, Thom Palstra will retire from his position as professor at the University of Twente. His fascination for materials science started at the University of Leiden and continued at Shell Research, Bell Laboratories and the University of Groningen to his current position.
The title of his Valedictory Lecture will be: "Fascination for Materials"
In the morning (10-14h) there will be a symposium of lifetime colleagues.
The symposium is entitled “Progress and Current Challenges in Electronic Materials”. It takes place in Waaier 2.
Speakers include:
- Prof. B. Batlogg (ETH Zurich)
Bertram Batlogg is a Condensed Matter Physicist, who got his education and PhD at ETH Zurich, before joining Bell Laboratories in Murray Hill, NJ, as researcher and later also as department head / director in the Physical Sciences Research area. From 1990 until it was dissolved in 1996, he was also a director of the Consortium for Superconducting Electronics, a research and development partnership involving several industrial and academic institutions in the USA. In 2000 he moved to ETH Zurich as full Professor for Physics of Condensed Matter, where he transitioned into emeritus status in 2016.
His principal scientific interest is in solid state physics, with the goal of creating and understanding materials with novel physical phenomena, and exploring them for applications that derive their usefulness from their electrical, magnetic or optical properties. The research topics cover a wide spectrum and include mainly strong electron correlation and novel electronic states: high temperature superconductivity, giant magnetoresistance, manganites and cobaltates, quantum magnets, numerous novel superconductors, heavy fermions, mixed-valence compounds. In addition to these quantum materials (in current terminology) he has focused also on organic molecular crystals and organic semiconductors.
Batlogg’s scientific work has been recognized with prizes and fellowships, and in the 1981-1996 ISI Citation survey he was among the four most frequently cited physicists. More recently he serves at fellowship programs at ETH, on a university board of directors, and a social program. - Prof. Y. Iwasa (U Tokyo)
Yoshihiro Iwasa earned his Ph.D. in 1986 from The University of Tokyo, where he later held positions as a research associate and then a lecturer. In 1993-1994, he had the opportunity to collaborate as a visiting scientist at AT&T Bell Laboratories in Murray Hill, USA, with Thom Palstra. In 1994, Iwasa transitioned to associate professor at the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), before ascending to the position of full professor at the Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University in 2001. In 2010, he made the move to the Department of Applied Physics at The University of Tokyo, concurrently taking on the role of team leader at the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science.His research expertise lies in the realm of nanomaterial physics, with a specific focus on 2D materials. Iwasa's work centers on manipulating the quantum phase of nanomaterials through innovative device designs. Throughout his illustrious career, he has garnered several awards, including the Japan IBM Science Prize, The Commendation for Science and Technology by the Minister of MEXT, the Honda Frontier Prize, and the Nishina Memorial Prize. - Prof. H. Takagi (Max Planck Inst. Stuttgart)
Hidenori Takagi has been a Director of Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, Germany, since 2013, and a Professor at department of physics, the University of Tokyo, Japan, since 2011. He received his PhD from the University of Tokyo in 1989. After joining AT&T Bell Laboratories, USA, as a Post-Doctoral member of technical staff in 1990, he returned to the University of Tokyo, becoming an Associate Professor in 1994 and a Professor in 1999. From 2002 to 2013, he was jointly appointed at RIKEN, Japan as a Chief Scientist. He has worked on experimental condensed matter physics, in particular metal-insulator transition, superconductivity, and quantum magnetism in correlated transition metal oxides. - Dr. A. Aqeel (U Augsburg)
Aisha Aqeel is currently heading the research group "Spintronics with Helimagnetic Insulators" at the University of Augsburg, Germany, as part of the Emmy Noether grant funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG).A scientist with a robust background in applied physics and materials chemistry, Aisha possesses a diverse skill set in experimental techniques. Her expertise includes X-ray diffraction, nanodevice fabrication, crystal growth, and magnetic property measurements. These skills have allowed her to navigate the interdisciplinary landscape between physics and materials chemistry with finesse. Aisha's vision extends beyond traditional boundaries, as she plans to establish her own research group. Her ambition is to bridge the gap between physics and materials chemistry, adding a unique and crucial chemistry twist to the field of spintronics and quantum technology. In a landscape predominantly focused on the physical characterization of well-known materials, Aisha aims to broaden the horizons by infusing a strong chemistry perspective into the realm of quantum science and technology. - Prof. P. van Loosdrecht (U Koln)
Paul van Loosdrecht studied physics at the Einhoven university of technology. He obtained his PhD from the university of Nijmegen in 1992 for work on fundamental excitations in incommensurate crystals and fullerenes. He was awarded a NWO ‘Talent’ award to work on endohedral fullerence at IBM-Almaden research center in the USA. After post-doc positions at the high magnetic field laboratory in Grenoble and the university of Aachen he moved to the University of Groningen on a NWO ‘Springplank’ award where he became a full professor in optical condensed matter physics in 2003. In 2013 he moved to the university of Cologne. His main interests are the fundamental properties of complex matter and optical manipulation of molecular and complex matter using advanced linear and non-linear spectroscopies. Central to his current research are non-equilibrium material physics and the role of spin-orbit coupling, correlations, and topology in the physical properties of novel quantum materials. He published over 200 peer reviewed articles, has been Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (2020-2023), and is editor for Physics Reports. - Prof. M. Loi (RU Groningen)
- Maria Antonietta Loi studied physics at the University of Cagliari in Italy where she received the PhD in 2001. In the same year she joined the Linz Institute for Organic Solar cells, of the University of Linz, Austria as a postdoctoral fellow. Later she worked as researcher at the Institute for Nanostructured Materials of the Italian National Research Council in Bologna, Italy. In 2006 she became assistant professor and Rosalind Franklin Fellow at the Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials of the University of Groningen, The Netherlands. She is now full professor in the same institution and chair of the Photophysics and OptoElectronics group. She has published more than 300 peer-reviewed articles on photophysics and optoelectronics of different types of materials. In 2013 she has received an ERC Starting Grant and in 2022 and ERC Advanced Grant from the European Research Council. She currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of Applied Physics Letters and she is member of the international advisory board of several international journals in physics and materials physics. In 2018 she received the Physicaprijs from the Dutch physics association for her outstanding work on organic-inorganic hybrid materials. In 2020 she became fellow of the American Physical Society. In 2022 she was elected fellow of the Dutch Academy of Science (KNAW). In the same year she became fellow of the European Academy of Science (EURASC) and of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
- Dr. M. Kamminga (U Utrecht)
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Machteld Kamminga obtained her PhD in materials chemistry from the University of Groningen in 2018 (cum laude), under supervision of Prof. Thom Palstra. After her PhD, she moved to the University of Oxford with a Rubicon research grant from the Dutch Research Council (NWO), to study intercalation mechanisms in layered chalcogenides with Prof. Simon Clarke. After receiving a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions Individual Fellowship in 2020, Machteld moved to the University of Copenhagen to work with Prof. Kim Lefmann on high-temperature superconductors using neutron scattering. In February 2023, Machteld joined Utrecht University as an assistant professor, as part of the QuMat (Materials for the Quantum Age) research program (see qumat.org). - Dr. B. van Aken (TNO Energy Transition)
Dr. Bas Van Aken received his Ph.D. in solid state chemistry from the University of Groningen, after which he worked as a postdoc at Cambridge University and at the Max Born Institute for Nonlinear and Ultrafast Optics in Berlin. He is currently a researcher at TNO Energy Transition, in the Solar Energy group, where he focusses on the outdoor performance of bifacial and back-contact modules and the integration of solar parks in the (agricultural) landscape, linking module and system design to the ground irradiance, soil quality and photosynthesis. Bas chaired the international bifiPV workshop in 2019 and coordinates the Symbizon project that combines strip cultivation with solar trackers. - Prof. B. Noheda (RU Groningen)
- Prof. O. Jurchescu (Wake Forest U)
he Valedictory Lecture of Thom Palstra will start at 15h also in Waaier 2. After the lecture, the reception will be held from 16-18h in the restaurant of the Waaier.
Before the farewell lecture, coffee and tea will be served in the Foyer of the Waaier building, starting 14h.
For more information, contact s.a.m.terhedde-sloot@utwente.nl