Flashback

PSI's Day of Physics : 9000 visitors take a close look at labs and facilities
by Stefan Janssen

On October 30, 2005 the Paul Scherrer Institut near Villigen (AG) opened its doors and faced an overwhelming interest of the public : more than 9000 people took the opportunity to have a closer look at the PSI facilities and research labs during the ‘Day of Physics’.

On their way the visitors passed by four Einstein-Presentations entitled Light, Space and Time, Energy and Atoms. In multimedia shows the people were introduced to topics like Speed of light, E=mc2, photo effect or diffusion.

In addition the PSI User Laboratories and the particle physics presented their methods and hot research topics in a public manner. At the SINQ lab, the presentation showed how neutrons might help to explain the effect of High-Temperature Superconductivity. A special highlight was the superconducting ‘MaNEP model railway’, which was kindly made available by Geneva's Institute of Physics.

The PSI/Michelin fuel cell car ‘HY-LIGHT’, the PSI proton therapy facility, several information booths on energy research and environment as well as a special physics laboratory for children completed a very interesting, colorful and lively Open Day at PSI, which will definitely not be the last one.
[Figure caption right : Even ‘Einstein’ showed up to make sure his theories are really understood...]

[more infos on the PSI website]

September's international "Perovskite" Conference at EMPA 
by Ekaterina Pomjakushina and Kazimierz Conder

An international conference called “Perovskites - Properties and Potential Applications” was held on September 5-7, 2005 at EMPA, in Dübendorf. The aim was to assemble scientists from universities, scientific institutes as well as industry to promote international cooperations on perovskite-type materials.

Perovskites are a large family of crystalline materials, which derive their name from a natural mineral “perovskite” (CaTiO3) found in the Ural in 1839 by Gustav Rose who named it after the Russian minister L. A. Perovski. A specific crystal structure is usually correlated with specific electrical properties, but perovskites behave like chameleons, acting as perfect insulators as well as semiconductors, ionic conductors, metal-like conductors or even superconductors. The magnetic properties are also manifold, with colossal magnetoresistivity as prominent example.

Over 130 participants from 18 countries took part in a forum with physicists, chemists and material scientists who are all working with perovskites. The conference began with opening remarks about the 125 –year history of EMPA by Louis Schlapbach, director of EMPA. Excellent and comprehensive lectures on theory, properties and applications of perovskites were given by the authorities in the field. About 50 plenary talks highlighted studies on the synthesis, properties and applications for well-known and novel perovskite materials. During the two poster sessions - with almost 60 posters - we had lively debates and a fruitful exchange of ideas.

MaNEP groups were represented mostly by PSI and EMPA research teams reporting their work on cobaltites and oxynitrides. The conference summary was given in an original and humorous way by M. A. Alario-Franco (University of Madrid, Spain). The meeting also provided opportunities to advance scientific skills during practical workshops on the “Rietveld Method” (by J. R. Carvajal, LLB Saclay, France) [picture left], “Transition Electron Microscopy” (by M. J. W. Seo, EPFL Lausanne, Switzerland) and “X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy” (by T. Ressler, FHI Berlin, Germany).

Our thanks go to the organizing Committee and especially to the chair Anke Weidenkaff [picture right] and her colleagues for an excellently organized and stimulating meeting. The "perovskite community" enjoyed this conference and strongly suggested to have another one...