Institute for Solid State Research (IFF)
2. Overview
The Institute for Solid State Research (IFF) pursues research on condensed materials in the solid or liquid state. With the study of the properties of materials in bulk as a foundation, work in the IFF covers inhomogeneous systems and systems with reduced dimensionality and the rich phenomena associated with such systems. Particular emphasis is placed on clusters, surfaces, thin films and membranes. The overall approach, in the theoretical as well as the experimental groups, can be characterized in terms of three strategic components:
The general physical basis for all these components is provided by statistical physics and by quantum mechanics, which describe on a microscopic scale the behaviour and the reaction to external influences of electrons and atoms, the building blocks whose aggregation and cooperation is responsible for the formation of condensed phases. Investigating the manner in which this occurs and the relations between the various building blocks and the condensed phases to which they give rise, subsumes the current thrust of theoretical and experimental work in the IFF.
At the same time, past work on special materials and methods of preparation has spawned an increasing experimental effort in the development of systems and components that show promise of outstanding characteristics. In turn, this development has led to participation of the theoretical institutes and Working Group, which employ modern methodologies in order to describe and understand the often extraordinarily complex behaviour of these new systems.
In pursuing a research strategy oriented towards the future, the IFF has extended its sphere of activity substantially by founding Institutes focused on Ceramic Materials and on Scattering Methods. This establishes new areas in the Department with strong potential for the future, and extends and builds on the core activities. Similarly, the research sector 'Soft Materials' has been strengthened via the founding of a new Institute with this focus, by the choice of a Director of the institute Theory II whose research focuses on this area, by coordinating work in other institutes to impact on soft materials research and by providing wide-ranging and attractive possibilities for cooperation within the Jülich Research Centre in general.
The following specific foci of work in the IFF are symptomatic of the nature and purpose of a Helmholtz-Research-Centre:
Over the long term, the research effort of the IFF has achieved a broad-based and internationally recognized status. Special technical excellence was achieved in the following areas: electron-microscopy, electron-spectroscopy, high-temperature superconductivity for information technology, growth of compound semiconductor crystals, magnetic thin film systems, cluster-physics, electron-theory, dynamical features of phase-transitions, quasi-crystals and polymer-physics.
The foundation for the focal areas of research in the IFF mentioned above and the position of the IFF in the international community as a valued partner for cooperation is its strong position in basic research. The IFF carries out basic research in areas where interesting developments having potential for the future occur, especially where this provides the underpinnings of more applied research projects.
Genuine innovation (as distinct from continuous development) occurs typically as a by-product of curiosity-driven research. An excellent example is the discovery in the IFF in 1988 by Prof. Peter Grünberg of the so-called 'giant magnetoresistance effect'. This has in the intervening years evolved into a highly active branch of solid state physics and is the basis for several attractive applications in magnetic sensors, for example as read-heads for magnetic discs and as control sensors for moving parts. The contribution of Prof. Grünberg in opening up this area of applied research was recognized by the Bundespräsident via the award of the 1998 'German Future Prize for Technology and Innovation'. The license revenue from the patents which were taken out as a result of this work represent the largest contribution to the total patent revenue of the Research Centre Jülich devolving from a single application!
Together with the ISI and the IGV, the IFF participates in Jülich's program 'Basic Research in Information Technology' (PGI). In this context, with its strong basic research infrastructure as foundation, the IFF has in recent years extended its facilities for technical-development and component-design substantially. For example, the PGI-Program has led to the incorporation within the framework of the 'HGF-Strategic-Fund Scheme' of the programs 'Superconductors for the Communications Technology of the Future' and 'Microtechnological High-Performance Components - Micro-inductors'. In addition, the IFF has demonstrated the synergy between sophisticated basic research and applied research of direct relevance to industry in the areas 'Growth of Compound Semiconductor Crystals' and 'Superconducting SQUID-systems and High-frequency Components'.
The scientific work of the IFF has generated in 1998 256 publications, 7 patents and 13 patent applications. IFF scientists gave 328 seminars at universities, institutes, conferences and workshops of which 201 were invited. In addition, IFF staff carried out 36 courses or educational seminars at universities. 28 staff members are represented in the formal lecture schedules of teaching institutions.
The traditional IFF-Spring School was held in 1998 with topic 'Physics of Nanostructures' and attracted 300 participants.
In 1998, 11 students working at the IFF were awarded their Diplom (M.Sc. equivalent) and 21 received their Doctorates (Ph. D. equivalent). In total during 1998, 20 students were working at the IFF on a Diplom program and 52 on a Doctoral program.
In the past few years, the IFF has significantly increased its role as contractor to large companies (e.g. Bosch, Siemens, Daimler/Chrysler, Thompson, Philips) and contract work has become the main focus of some groups. This is especially the case in connection with attracting large-scale national (German) and international external funding for specific projects. Under the auspices of the Technology Transfer Bureau of the Jülich Research Centre, the IFF rents equipment to companies that have established themselves in the Jülich Technology Centre. The IFF has also designed and built pilot equipment for companies, focusing on areas where a cooperative effort within the respective industry could not be achieved (e.g. vertical Bridgman-Process for GaAs), and has developed and sold to a number of research institutions duplicates of equipment developed locally (e.g. SQUID Measuring Systems; sputtering apparatus for superconductors and oxides).
Amongst the most important roles of a large Research Centre is to make its facilities and equipment available to universities and other research institutions for work that may or may not bear a simple relation to the scientific programs that are being pursued by the Centre. In this regard, the Jülich Research Centre with its exemplary infrastructure under the auspices of the individual institutes that constitute the IFF, offers the following highly utilized capabilities: