Matter, Materials & Energy

This Collaborative Research Centre explores how the non-equilibrium property of plasma can be transferred on contact with liquids and solids.

The Collaborative Research Centre combines the subfields of astrophysics, plasma physics, astroparticle physics and particle physics.

The team at this Collaborative Research Centre aims to understand and design the surfaces of complex metallic solid solutions with atomic precision.

The aim is to produce chemicals sustainably and efficiently in the post-fossil age.

By using computer simulations, the teams intend to render energy and resource-intensive large-scale industrial production processes more efficient.

The team at this Collaborative Research Centre develops detectors capable of identifying the material properties of any object.

In order to improve the safety and durability of batteries, for example those used in electric cars, it is necessary to understand the processes that take place inside them down to the atomic level. Tong Li intends to lay the foundations for this as part of a Consolidator Grant.

Dislocations have a major impact on the properties of metals. Markus Stricker is trying to get to the bottom of them using simulations.

Astrophysicist Dr Elisa Pueschel wants to penetrate a still unexplored mass range of dark matter particles.

Clara Saraceno will use her ERC Consolidator Grant to develop new methods for adjusting air plasma composition using ultrafast lasers. This revolutionizes light generation, but also other areas.

As part of her ERC Starting Grant, Anna Böhmer is researching specific electron states in superconductors. The recently discovered phenomenon raises many questions.

Neutron stars may be much heavier than predicted by theory. This is possibly due to hyperons, i.e. poorly understood elementary particles. John Bulava aims at reconciling theory and experiment with new simulations.

Catalysts should be efficient and durable. To find them, four teams are systematically working together on new concepts.

A super tightly spaced periodic array of laser pulses to cut, weld, or 3D print materials.

We generally take for granted that the particles inside atomic nuclei stick together. However, the interactions between the nuclear constituents are, for the most part, not fully understood.

Discrepancies between measurements give rise to questions about physics beyond the standard model.