Groundbreaking ceremony for new research building LASE
Thanks to spin research we are able to stream videos and music with enormous amounts of data from the internet and making our cars safer with antilock braking systems. In physics spin describes an intrinsic angular momentum of quantum particles such as electrons or protons and serves as the fundamental basis of magnetic phenomena. In modern technology such phenomena are mostly interesting for fast storage of huge amounts of data and the development of modern sensor systems.
Research teams at the University of Kaiserslautern work in different research areas on various spin phenomena. In four out of seven collaborative research centers researchers focus on this topic. “This underlines the importance of the research topic for our research site”, says Martin Aeschlimann, professor of physics and spokesperson of LASE. “The only thing still missing was a common roof for all research proposals and this will be provided by the new research building LASE.” About 100 researchers from chemistry, physics and engineering will move into the new offices and laboratories by 2020 to study known applications for spins in more detail and to develop new technological concepts.
“The LASE research building proves our strong position in spin research. The new building will develop measurable impact beyond the campus and region”, states Professor Dr. Helmut J. Schmidt, President of the University.
The building consists of a usable area of more than 3300 square meters and will be equipped with leading edge research equipment. For example high resolution helium microscopes allow better insight into nanostructures of modern magnetic sensors and memory devices. Other methods such as ultrashort X-ray lasers will also be part of the research. The Nano Structuring Center (NSC) will also move into the new building and profit from a new clean room facility.
The federal government and the state Rhineland-Palatinate provide funds for the construction of about 40 billion Euro. In addition, new large-scale equipment is funded with 6.8 billion Euro in total. The University of Kaiserslautern aims to further define its profile within the science initiative of Rhineland-Palatinate by new research centers such as the State Research Center for Optics and Material Sciences (OPTIMAS). Other research centers aim to develop new materials (Advanced Materials Engineering, AME) and to increase the efficiency of resource usage by nanostructured catalysts (NanoKat). All three institutions are part of the LASE initiative and will push the limits of spin research with joint forces.
For more information:
Dr.-Ing. Sandra Wolff
Nano Structuring Center (NSC)
E-Mail: wolff[at]physik.uni-kl.de
Phone: 0631 205 4091