Projects funded by the Helmholtz Association

Proposer: Forschungszentrum Jülich
Cooperation partner: RWTH Aachen University
Grant period: 04/2009 – 03/2014

Description/Objective:
The interplay of different functionalities in oxide materials has great potential for applications in information technology, for example non-volatile memory elements based on magnetoelectric multiferroics with improved performance.
The “Helmholtz-Nachwuchsgruppe” led by Prof. Manuel Angst studies the electronic (charge, spin, orbital) ordering phenomena that often underlie functionalities. They mainly use scattering methods, such as neutron and x-ray diffraction on single crystals, to investigate these orderings and correlations. They combine this with synthesis and in-house basic characterization of physical properties. The principal objective is the better understanding of the relationship between structure, ordering phenomena and functionalities, and based on this the design of new materials with optimized functionality.

http://www.fz-juelich.de/pgi/pgi-4/DE/Forschung/NachwuchsgruppeAngst/artikel.html

Proposer: Forschungszentrum Jülich
Cooperation partner: University Liège
Grant period: 07/2008 – 06/2013

Description/Objective:
The “Helmholtz-Nachwuchsgruppe” led by Prof. Raphaël Hermann studies the lattice dynamics in thermoelectric materials, in bulk and nanostructured forms, in charge order materials and in phase change materials, and investigates the relationship between lattice dynamics and functionality.
Scattering techniques such as inelastic neutron, inelastic x-ray, or inelastic nuclear resonance scattering are utilized in order to study the lattice dynamics through the phonon density of states or dispersion. Complementary information is obtained by specific heat, Moessbauer spectral and thermal transport measurements. A resonant ultrasound spectrometer is used for measurements of the elastic constants as a function of temperature and applied magnetic field.

http://www.fz-juelich.de/pgi/pgi-4/EN/Forschung/NachwuchsgruppeHermann/artikel.html

Proposer: Jülich Centre for Neutron Science (JCNS)
Grant period: 01.07.2015 – 30.06.2018

Description:
Prof. Kazuhisa Kakurai was awarded with the “Helmholtz International Fellow Award”. Merits of Prof. Kakurai include the application of polarized neutrons to address scientific questions. He has exetensive experience as a scientific direcator of a large scale neutron facility which is useful for future cooperations of JCNS including the European Spallation Source ESS. Prof. Kakuarai is invited to spend scientific guest visits at Helmholtz Centres to develop international cooperations