Prof. G. Eilenberger,
Institute Theory I
Prof. G. Gompper
Institute Theory II
Prof. H. Mueller-Krumbhaar,
Institute Theory III
Prof. Th. Brückel,
Institute Scattering Methods
Prof. D. Richter,
Institute Neutron Scattering
Prof. R. Waser,
Institute Electroceramic Materials
Prof. J. Dhont
Institute Soft Matter
(since 01.01.2000)
Prof. K. Urban,
Institute Microstructural Research
Prof. W. Eberhardt,
Institute Electronic Properties
(IFF Managing Director for 2000)
Special Group:
Materials under high doses of radiation
Prof. H. Ullmaier
Central Facilities:
Electronics Laboratory
Dr. G. Durcansky
Numerical Methods and Data Processing
Prof. G. Eilenberger
Accelerator
Dl. R. Hoelzle
Construction
H. Feilbach
Workshop
K.Hirtz
Administration
H.Geisler (Permanent Deputy of the Managing Director)
The Institute of Solid State Research (IFF) pursues research on condensed materials in the solid or liquid state. In addition to studies of bulk properties of condensed phases, the IFF is concerned with inhomogenous systems and with the consequences of low dimensionality. This refers in particular to the physics of clusters, surfaces, thin films and membranes. With regard to both theory and experiment, the institute's research can be understood in terms of three strategically distinct categories:-
= Materials oriented research: The investigation of specific materials or classes of materials with a view to gaining an understanding of their special properties and, where appropriate, exploring their potential for practical application.
= Method oriented research:
Development of new methods and the improvement of existing methods, both
in the experimental and the theoretical/numerical sectors.
Alongside this work is an increasing experimental effort in the development of systems and components that show promise of interesting and outstanding characteristics. This effort grew naturally as a consequence of past work on special materials and methods of preparation.
In pursuing a research strategy oriented towards the future, the IFF has extended its sphere of activity substantially by founding Institutes focused on ceramics and on scattering methods. This establishes new areas in the Department with strong potential for the future, and extends and builds on its core activities. Similarly, the research sector 'Soft Materials' has been strengthened by the founding of a new Institute with this focus, by the choice of a Director of the Institute Theory II whose research focuses in 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:
= Using the Jülich Computer Centre, mainly for theoretical investigation and large-scale numerical simulations.
= Projects that require high
levels of investment and/or the continuity of a highly qualified team of
staff (in most cases in the context of national and international cooperative
projects and services). Examples are the Centre for High-resolution Microscopy,
the operation of accelerators, the Electro-ceramics laboratory, superconductor
technology and the development of sophisticated numerical algorithms and
programs.
A prerequisite for the focal areas of research in the IFF mentioned above and its position 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 when this research 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. This is exemplified particularly well by the discovery of the 'giant-magneto-resistance' effect, which over the past years has become a very active area in solid state research. The effect has attractive applications for magnetic sensors eg. as read heads for data storage and for control of moving parts. The license revenue from the patents which were take out as a result of early work in the IFF on this effect represents the largest contribution to the total patent revenue of the Jülich Research Centre devolving from a single application!
The IFF participates along with ISI and IGV in the Jülich's program 'Basic Research in Information Technology' (PGI). With its strong basic research infrastructure as foundation, the IFF has in recent years in the context of PGI extended its facilities for technical development and component-design substantially. This has led to the acceptance of the IFF's research program within the the framework of the HGF-Strategic-Fund Project 'Microtechnological High-Performance Components -Microinductors'. In 1999, a further Strategy Fund Project for development and characterization of film systems for magneto-electronics was granted. The development over many years in IFF of the program 'High-temperature Superconductors in Communications Technology' was to a large part integrated with the superconductivity research in ISI. The areas 'Squid-microscopy' and 'Hilbert-Transformation Spectroscopy' in IFF will be strengthened.
In 1999, the scientific work of the IFF generated 244 publications 8 patents and 20 patent applications. IFF scientists gave 308 seminars at universities, institutes, conferernces of worksops of which 183 were invited. In addition IFF staff carried out of 47 courses or educational seminars at universities. 27 are represented in the formal lecture schedules of teaching institutions.
The traditional IFF-Spring School was held in 1999 with the topic 'Magnetic Film Systems' and attracted 250 participants.
In 1999, 17 diploma students and 52 doctoral students
worked at IFF. 12 Diploma students and 19 doctoral students completed their
programs during the year.
Scientific and Technical Infrastructure
In the past years, the IFF has tightened its technical infrastructure in order to retain optXWimal efficiency of the Department's internal service groups. This has been achieved through organisatorial and strategic measures in the context of dwindling resources, the loss of the technical know-how of retiring staff who could not be replaced and the need to close down some technical facilities. These measures have now reached a critical boundary.
Research 'at the cutting-edge' requires the capability to build and maintain experimental facilities in high-tech areas. In this regard, the basic research performed by the IFF at national and international sources as well as applied research is equally affected. Equipment must meet high international standards, and especially so when the work performed is to be 'industry relevant'. A basic requirement for the work of the Department is an infrastructure, within the IFF and the Research Centre itself, that supplies the necessary expertise, effectiveness and facilities.
The Electronic-Laboratory of the IFF maintains and services the workstation cluster and networks, and supports scientific staff in the design and performance of experiments as well as via the networking and usage of workstations and PC's. In the context of its limited staffing possibilities, the EL supplies expert assistance in hard- and software and in the supply and repair of components. Hardware and software units are developed and automatization of exprimental systems facilitated.
The Numerical Methods and Dataprocessing group is responsible for issues relating to information and data-evaluation. Together with the Electronics Laboratory, the group maintains the IFF-workstation cluster, provides programming advice and participates in the training of mathematical-technical assistants.
The Accelerator Group is responsible for the running of the Compact-Cyclotron and the Tandetron.
Construction and Workshop propose and build equipment
for the IFF over a wide range, from simple mechanics to sophisticated modern
technology. The facility works closely together with the scientists and
engineers of the Institute to achieve the ambitious quality and tolerance
goals set by the experimentalists.
Staff members
K. v. Ameln, N. Bayer, S. Berger, H.P. Esser, A. Bremen,
H. Cremer, G. Durcansky, P. Eickenberg, M. Emmerich, H. Feilbach, U. Funk-Kath,
R. Gehlhaar, G. Grimm, E. Gundt, R. Heckmann, J. Heinen, D. Henkel, K.
Hirtz, R. Hölzle, K.H. Johnen, S. Krahe, J. Lingenbach, T. Matulewski,
W. Noack, T. Nguyen-Vu, P. Pickartz, M. Pohl, B. Radermacher, H. Sachsenhausen,
L. Schätzler, H. Schnitzler, J. Schramm, T. Starc, P. Stefelmanns,
W. Stellmacher, H. Terberger, E. Westphal, K. Wingerath, A. Zens.
Other Scientific Activities: Collaborations with Universities. Institutes ans Industry
The productivity of a Research Institute depends strongly on its capacity for scientific exchange and for scientific and technical collaboration. In this regard, the Jülich Research Centre offers excellent possibilities. The Centre's exemplary infrastructure offers efficient assistance, facilitating extended or short-term visits by external guests. Many guest scientists were able to utilize the infrastructure and facilities. Modern neutron scattering instrumentation appropriate for cutting-edge studies are available to many IFF guest scientists in the DIDO building and in the measuring laboratory ELLA. The wide variety of collaborations in which the neutron studies institutes of the IFF are involved leads to optimal usage of the potential of the relevant equipment. Concomitantly, the availablity of complementary facilities at other Institutions is important for the IFF. In particular, by building and developing measuring capabilities, the IFF contributed to the development and improved usage of external facilities such as ILL and CEN (Grenoble), FELTA (Dortmund), HASYLAB (Hamburg), BESSY (Berlin), NSLS (Brookhaven), NIST (Gaithersburg).
Bilateral agreements as regards the use of the Jülich centre for high-resolution microscopy for specialized studies in the area of quantitative and high-resolution microscopy, and as regards use of the Jülich microscope with correction of the spherical abberation have been concluded with the Paul-Drude Institute, Berlin, RWTH Aachen, IBM Rüshlikon, and the universities Bonn, Göttingen and Kiel.
In the past year, the IFF has expanded its activities as a sub-contractor to large companies (eg. Bosch, Siemens, Daimler-Benz, Thompson, Philips) and contract work has become the main focus of the scientific work of several groups. This is in particular the case with regard to attracting large-scale national (German) and international external funding. Of special importance is the IFF's participation in the BMBF-Project 'Magnetoelectronics'. Under the auspices of the Technology Transfer Bureau of the Jülich Research Centre, the IFF leases equipment to companies that have established themselves in the Jülich Technology Centre. In addition, the IFF has designed and built pilot equipment for industrial concerns.
Amongst the most important roles of a large Research Centre is making its facilities and equipment available to universities and other research organisations for research projects that need not necessarily have a direct connection with active research programs of te Centre. In this regard, the Jülich Research Centre with its exemplary infrastructure, supports the individual Institutes of the IFF in regard to the Department's Guest Program in solid state research (see 23.06.0).
Many staff members of the IFF serve in scientific committees (eg. advisory boards for institutes and scientific societies, program committees for international meetings, editors of proceedings, journals and databases, referees for the scientific community, special research areas and prize committees.) Collaborations with other Institutes of the Research Centre were especially fruitful and the common utilization of equipment and facilities lead as usual to frequent consultations in areas of common interest.
On 25th June 1999, the Heyn-Denkmünze of the German Society for Materials Science was awarded to Prof. K. Urban, Director if the Institute for Microstructural Research of the IFF.
On 22nd March 2000, in Dresden, the Gustav-Hertz prize of the German Physical Society was awarded to Dr. Gunter Schütz.
Alexander von Humboldt Research Prizes were awarded to Prof. M. A. Olmstead, University of Washington, Seattle (Guest of the Institute Electronic Properties) and Prof. T. Burkhardt, Temple University, Philadelphia, USA (Guest of Institute Theory II),
Alexander von Humbolt Stipendia were awarded to:
Dr D. Caprion, University Montpellier II, Montpellier, France
Dr H. Ishida. University of Yokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Dr W. Ma, Southwest University, Nanying, China.
Dr K. Maiti, IISC Bangalore, Bangalore, India.
Dr J. Wu, Institute National Polytechnic, de Lorraine, Nancy, France
Dr S.-S. Yan Physics department, Shandong University,
Jinan, China.
Personal Honours, Awards, and Distinctions
Prof. Dr. W. Eberhardt was appointed for six additional years to the Advisory Board at the "Max-Plank-Institut for Solid State Physiks" in Stuttgart.
Prof. Dr. W. Eberhardt was selected to serve as Member of the national committee "Forschung mit Synchrotronstrahlung".
Prof. Dr. R. Waser was appointed to serve in the International Advisory Committee of the ISIF(International Symposium on Integrated Ferroelectrics) and as Chairman of the ISIF 2000 in Aachen (Together with Dr.D.Wouters,
Prof. Dr. R. Waser was appointed to serve at the FZJ-ISI Advisory Board.
Dr. B. Kessler was appointed as a C3 professor position at the Fachhochschule Koblenz in Laser Physics and Materials Science.
Prof. Dr. K. Urban was rewarded the "Heyn-Denkmünze" of the "Gesellschaft für Materialkunde".
Prof. Dr. Th. Brückel was selected as Proxy Chairman to the Committee "Forschung mit Neutronen"(KFN)".
Dr. A. Wischnewski received the Young Scientists Award for his lecture "Reptation in polyethylene with different molecular weights" at the 2nd European Conference on Neutron Scattering 1999 in Budapest.
Dr. G. Schütz received the "Gustav-Hertz-Award 2000"
of the "Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft"