Forschungszentrum Jülich
Institut für Festkörperforschung

Introduction

The "Institut für Festkörperforschung" (IFF) is devoted to condensed matter research. Topics range from the physics and chemistry of liquids, via membranes, clusters, surfaces and thin films to homogeneous and inhomogeneous bulk solids. The IFF has a department structure consisting of 9 institutes and service groups. Its wide spectrum of experimental facilities and individual expertise enables the IFF to successfully tackle complex problems in close collaboration between preparative, experimental and theoretical groups. Specialized laboratories and facilities exist for preparation of polymers, colloids and ceramics or the growth of thin films and bulk single crystals. Besides standard methods for characterization, highly sophisticated techniques are available and constantly further developed such as ultra high resolution electron microscopy, neutron- and synchrotron x-ray scattering, and femtosecond laser spectroscopy. Characteristic for an institute of the HGF (Hermann von Helmholtz Association of National Research Centers) is the fact that the IFF builds, operates and makes available to external users the neutron scattering instruments at the research reactor FRJ-2. Last but not least, the IFF has a long tradition in teaching and training of young researchers, not only through the approximately 29 IFF scientists teaching at universities, but in particular through the Spring Schools of the IFF and the annual Neutron Laboratory Course.

This annual report is intended to inform the international scientific community, including our scientific advisory board, about the scientific activities at the IFF during the past year. We have attempted to present a typical cross section through the research done at the IFF, including scientific highlights as well as results of long term developments, for example the construction of new large-scale instruments. The scientific activities of the IFF have lead this year to 393 publications, of which 301 articles were published in journals, and a total of 356 external talks of which 212 were invited. I hope you will enjoy learning about our activities.

Since 01.01.2002 Prof. H. Müller-Krumbhaar is Chairman of the Visiting Committee of the " Minerva Center for Nonlinear Physics" at the Weizmann Institute, Rehovot, and the Technion, Haifa, Israel. On behalf of the Federal President, the Secretary of State of the Federal Ministry for Education and Research, Dr. Uwe Thomas, awarded Prof H. Müller-Krumbhaar the Bundesverdienstkreuz am Bande. Prof. H. Müller-Krumbhaar has been elected Member of the German Academy of Natural Scientists LEOPOLDINA. Dr. Allgaier, Prof. Gompper, Prof. Richter, and others received the "Erwin-Schrödinger-Prize 2002" for Interdisciplinary Research of the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft for their joint work on the subject "Amphiphilic Block Copolymers as Efficiency Boosters in Oil-Water-Surfacant". Prof. Th. Brückel was elected Chairman of the "Research with Neutrons" Committee. Dr. Hitoshi Endo was invited by the Rector of the Westfälische-Wilhelms-University of Münster to this years awards to the authors of outstanding dissertations. Dr. Paul Siegfried Bechthold has been named Extraordinary Professor at the University of Köln. Prof. Dr. Peter Grünberg has been awarded an honorary doctorate at the Ruhr-University of Bochum. Dr. Simone Wiegand has been awarded the Habilitation at the University of Bremen (Biology/Chemistry).

Alexander von Humboldt Research Prize

Prof. B. Carter, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, USA

Prof. F. Spaepen, Harvard University, Cambridge, USA

Alexander von Humboldt Scholars

Dr. Z. Dogic, Brandeis University, USA

Prof. S.K. Dattagupta, S.N. Base National Centre for Basic Sciences, Calcutta, Indien

Prof. Dr. Knut Urban

IFF Managing Director 2003