2026-04-07 - 2026-04-10
Hier geht es zur AnmeldungKatharina Ollefs
Heidelberg University
This lecture will explore the intersection of fundamental magnetism, sustainability, and energy transformation, highlighting the need for fundamental understanding of magnetic materials.
Magnetic phenomena and their useful applications have served mankind for several thousands of years now, with e.g. an ancient version of a compass conveyed from 4000 years ago.
Today they still play an important role in our society and as the world transitions towards a sustainable, carbon-neutral society, the importance of magnets cannot be overstated. With the need to shift away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and hydro power, magnets will be crucial in facilitating the conversion and usage of electricity. At the same time, the most powerful magnets nowadays still depend on rare earth elements and their magnetic properties arising from their specific 4f electronic configurations. With the European Union relying heavily on foreign suppliers for critical raw materials, it is clear that innovative magnetic materials with reduced contributions from critical elements and improved magnetic properties are highly sought for. Here, we scientists come into play: With a combination of state of the art materials characterization and their theoretical description, we can identify important features in the microstructure, in magnetic interactions and the interplay of different elements with the goal to assist development of novel materials guided by this fundamental understanding.
In this lecture, we will start from a basic description of magnetism and the models relevant for permanent magnets and introduce an alternative concept for cooling based on magneto-caloric materials. Furthermore, we will study state of the art experimental techniques to study magnetic materials including x-ray absorption spectroscopy and imaging.
