The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) is funding the Transregional Collaborative Research Center (CRC/TRR) "Spin+X - Spin in its Collective Environment" for a further four years with eleven million euros. It is coordinated by the University Kaiserslautern-Landau (RPTU), with Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz also involved. A team of researchers from the fields of physics and chemistry is investigating fundamental spin phenomena. These are quantum mechanical phenomena that enable the development of magnetic properties in various materials. The aim is to translate these findings into practical applications, such as components for memory chips.
The fact that we are now able to stream music and videos despite immense amounts of data or that cars brake safely thanks to anti-lock braking systems is thanks to the constant progress made in spin research. The findings from this field of research have been continuously incorporated into the development of new technologies for many years. Another example is the formative role that spin research has played in the development of hard disks since the dawn of the computer age, and how it influences the evolution of modern magnetic memory chips and sensors today.
In specialist circles, the term "spin" refers to the intrinsic angular momentum of a quantum particle, be it an electron or a proton, as Professor Dr. Martin Aeschlimann, spokesperson for the Collaborative Research Center (CRC) at RPTU in Kaiserslautern, explains: "Spin is a purely quantum mechanical phenomenon and forms the basis for all magnetic phenomena." This finding is particularly important when it comes to the fast and efficient storage of large amounts of data, as well as in the development of advanced magnetic sensors used in mobile devices and vehicles.
The research team in Kaiserslautern and Mainz dedicates its work to the entire spectrum of spin research. This covers a spectrum ranging from fundamental physical issues to functional and technologically oriented projects. One example of this is the development of innovative components that use spin waves as transmission carriers to transfer data.
Another central focus of the Collaborative Research Center is the promotion of young scientists. The integrated "Spin+X Graduate College" enables young researchers to receive comprehensive training both in their specialist field and across disciplines. This training opportunity is made possible by the close cooperation between the various working groups at both locations.
In the third funding period, particular attention will be paid to the preparation and storage of research data in accordance with the FAIR principles, which stand for findability, accessibility, interoperability and reusability. A separate sub-project will be dedicated to this topic. In close cooperation with the FAIRmat consortium of the NFDI (National Research Data Infrastructure), the results of the "Spin+X" research will be made accessible to the scientific community and future research projects in this area.
The Transregional Collaborative Research Centre "Spin+X - Spin in its Collective Environment" was first approved in 2016. It is currently in its second funding period (2020 to the end of 2023). The third phase of the project will start in January 2024.
"This is a great success for spin research in Rhineland-Palatinate. I congratulate everyone involved in Kaiserslautern and Mainz," says Professor Dr. Werner Thiel, Vice President for Research at RPTU in Kaiserslautern. "At RPTU in Kaiserslautern, we are pooling our work on spin research in a dedicated research building, the Laboratory for Advanced Spin Engineering, or LASE for short. Here, researchers are getting to the bottom of spin phenomena across disciplines and laying the foundations for future key technologies."
The Collaborative Research Center is firmly integrated into the research initiative of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate at both locations. The aim of this initiative is to promote cutting-edge research and offer universities the opportunity to develop their profile.
About Collaborative Research Centers of the Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)
Collaborative Research Centres are long-term research institutions at universities, set up for a period of up to twelve years, in which scientists work together within the framework of an interdisciplinary research program.
They make it possible to work on innovative, demanding, complex and long-term research projects by coordinating and concentrating people and resources at the applicant universities. In this way, they serve to establish institutional priorities and structures.
The SFB/Transregio (TRR) is jointly applied for and supported by two or three universities. It enables close cooperation between these universities and their researchers, including the joint use of resources. The contributions of the applying university partners are essential, complementary and synergetic for the common research objective.
More: www.dfg.de/foerderung/programme/koordinierte_programme/sfb/
Fragen beantworten:
Aneta Daxinger and Matthias Klein
Geschäftsführung SFB/TRR Spin+X
Tel.: 0631 205-3576
E-Mail: spin_gf(at)uni-kl.de
About the RPTU
Since January 1, 2023, the Technical University of Kaiserslautern and the University of Landau together form the University Kaiserslautern-Landau. With over 20,000 students and more than 300 professors, RPTU is the second largest academic institution in the state. As a place of top international research and an academic talent factory for business and science, RPTU offers excellent study and research conditions as well as a cosmopolitan environment. RPTU is also an innovation and transfer partner for politics, business and society. Anyone who studies, learns, researches or works at RPTU is part of a vibrant university community and shapes the world of tomorrow.