In mid-October, part of our working group attended the 819th seminar of the Wilhelm and Else Heraeus Foundation. The seminar took place at the Physics Centre in Bad Honnef on the topic of ‘Transverse Effects in Thermoelectric Systems’. With a total of 15 invited speakers from three different continents and contributions from theory, material synthesis and characterisation as well as device fabrication and integration, the seminar was an interdisciplinary stage, which we used to present our research results and realise new collaborations. For some of us, it was a great reunion with many colleagues from the thermoelectrics community.

Our working group took part in the first retreat of the Research Centre Future Energy Materials and Systems (RC FEMS) in Gladbeck at the end of September. The event provided an excellent opportunity to present our current research work to RC FEMS researchers and receive valuable feedback.

During the three days, we engaged in intensive dialogue with scientists from various disciplines. Current topics in materials and energy research were highlighted in inspiring presentations and lively discussions. The interdisciplinary approach enabled us to gain new perspectives and develop innovative ideas for our own work.

The workshops and poster sessions were particularly enriching, providing space for detailed technical discussions. We were able to take the first steps towards future collaborations and look forward to deepening these partnerships in the near future.

In addition to the professional exchange, joint activities created a pleasant atmosphere and strengthened the team spirit. We are grateful for the excellent organisation of this successful event and look forward to further collaboration within the RC FEMS.

At the end of September, part of our research group took part in Material Science Engineering (MSE) 2024 in Darmstadt. There they had the opportunity to present their research work and latest findings, including topics ranging from crystal growth synthesis to electrical and thermal characterisation of novel materials. The conference provided an excellent platform to not only learn about current trends in materials science and explore possible joint research projects, but also to gain insights from an industrial perspective, especially about the latest technical measurement tools. Besides all the great experiences, we also had a lot of fun!

This Thursday the 6th Materials Chain International Conference (MCIC 2024) took place at the Ruhr University in Bochum (RUB) with the topic ‘Inorganic Functional Materials: Developments and Applications for Advanced Technologies’, where Gabi was an invited speaker and talked about the physics of charge density waves in shape memory alloys.

Further information on the conference
Click here for the Ruhr Alianz contribution
Click here for the RUB contribution

Last week in August, members of our group attended the European Symposium on Martensitic Transformations (ESOMAT) in Lecco, Italy. This prestigious event, established in 1989, continues to be an important platform for researchers working on martensitic phenomena, shape memory alloys and superelasticity. Gabi opened the event with a plenary lecture, while Alexander, Tiemon and Niklas presented posters. The beautiful alpine scenery and the stimulating discussions led to promising co-operation ideas and new research directions.

The eighth European Conference on Crystal Growth (ECCG8) took place in Warsaw at the end of July this year. This year, Alexander and Timon presented their current research in the poster session. In addition to the scientific exchange, there were also numerous opportunities to network within the community.

During our excursion to the Fraunhofer Institute UMSICHT (Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology), we got to know the inner workings of electrolysers and the manufacturing and characterisation challenges involved in their development. Exciting topics included not only the production of green hydrogen, but also the treatment of industrial waste gases, including the treatment of CO2 in these waste gases. We would like to thank Prof Apfel for the great insights!

In mid-May, we were able to take part in another exciting excursion organised by Prof. Dieter Brillert and the Chair of Fluid Mechanics. We travelled to the wind energy test field in Grevenbroich. Windtest Grevenbroich GmbH gave us an exciting insight into their services relating to wind turbines, including measurements and technical expertise. We were particularly impressed by the company's active role in research and development, especially in the areas of design, sensor technology, condition monitoring and grid integration of wind turbines. One of the highlights of the excursion was a look inside a wind turbine!

To the LinkedIn post of the Chair of Fluid Mechanics

At the beginning of May this year, we were given an exclusive insight into research at the Frauenhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems in Bremerhaven. During the excursion, the participants learnt about the latest technologies and developments in wind energy and direct conversion. The experience gave the students a valuable insight into industrial research on the one hand and the future technology of renewable energies on the other. It was particularly impressive to see the combination of wind turbine (8 MW!) and electrolyser for the direct conversion of wind energy into hydrogen. Here we learnt what considerable research is still needed for this technology.

To the LinkedIn post of the Fraunhofer Institute

Susanne Kunzmann has published her first paper! The paper provides new insights into the energy landscape of niobium-based materials, including a previously overlooked local energy minimum on the transition path from the bcc phase to the omega phase. High-throughput simulations confirm a stabilisation of the sigma phase by tantalum substitution.

Zur Veröffentlichung:
Ab initio study of transition paths between (meta)stable phases of Nb and Ta-substituted Nb

At the end of February this year, we were given an exclusive insight into the production of superconducting cables at Bruker AES GmbH in Hanau. During the excursion, the participants learnt about the latest technologies and process steps used to manufacture superconducting cables. The experience provided the students with valuable insights into the production and application of superconductors.

Now we finally have a place to exchange ideas in a more relaxed enviorment!

As part of this year's Christmas party, we visited the Zeche-Zollverein colliery in Essen and ended the evening at the Ronja restaurant in the Ringlokschuppen in Mülheim.

Best wishes from Boston! Prof. Gabi Schierning was in Boston from 26.11 to 01.12.2023 at the fiftieth Material Research Society (MRS) Autumn Meeting.

Michael Staiger is our new PhD student! He studied NanoEngineering here at the University of Duisburg-Essen and will be working on the influence of alloying elements on the low-temperature transport properties of bismuth telluride as part of his doctorate.

Assistant Professor Matthias Agne from the University of Oregon in Eugene (USA) visited us in our new premises in Duisburg. In a lecture Matthias shared data and considerations regarding electron transport in highly doped semiconductors as well as tricks for sample preparation. We are looking forward to further scientific exchange and co-operation!

To the homepage of Asst. Prof. Matthias Agne

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With the new PPMS DynaCool system, we can use the 9 Tesla magnet to analyse the thermal and electrical properties of our samples down to 1.9 Kelvin. We are looking forward to the first results and the new insights gained through the simplified characterisation!

They are developing urgently needed materials for a sustainable energy system of the future: the researchers at the Research Centre Future Energy Materials and Systems of the Research Alliance Ruhr. Prof Dr Gabi Schierning has been conducting research at UDE since February 2023, while Prof. Dr. Silvana Botti and Prof. Dr. Miguel Marques have been at Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) since April 2023. With their expertise in the natural and technical sciences, the three new members are sharpening the Research Centre's interdisciplinary approach.

read more here

With the collaboration of SciPod, we have published an audio publication. The almost eight-minute audio format sheds light on the properties of bismuth telluride particles. Two of our publications were summarised for the podcast.

Listen now

To the publications:
Interface-Dominated Topological Transport in Nanograined Bulk Bi₂TE₃
Density-Dependence of Surface Transport in Tellurium-Enriched Nanograined Bulk Bi₂TE₃

To the episode of SciPod