Department Aperitif 2020
The head of the Department of Physics, Professor Jérôme Faist, and the Department Management, including professors Günther Dissertori, Atac Imamoglu, Renato Renner and Sebastian Huber, hosted the departmental aperitif again this year. This event not only presents an opportunity to look back on achievements and give thanks for work accomplished in 2019, but also to look ahead to the future of the department.
The Department Aperitif and the Department Day are the two official events at which colleagues from all groups are informed directly by the Department Management, twice per year, about past, current and future projects and goals. So many department members attended to toast the new year and hear the latest news that the gathering was almost overfull. But thoughts were also directed toward colleagues who had passed away far too early.
The department will be evaluated in 2020
An evaluation of the Department of Physics by an international committee will take place in October 2020. Evaluations of the departments at ETH Zurich are carried out on average every seven years and provide feedback on their performance to the Executive Board. The head of department thanks everyone in advance for their support in this important project. The preparation for the review began at the end of 2019.
Two D-PHYS projects are part of ETH+
A project on ultrafast laser spectroscopy led by Professor Steve Johnson and a project on quantum science led by Professor Andreas Wallraff are being supported by ETH+. Within the framework of ETH+, the Executive Board of ETH Zurich had announced a competition for interdepartmental projects with a duration of six years. These two projects will give international visibility to ETH Zurich and the Department of Physics in this key fields of research.
The new building HPQ is “on track”
The construction of the new physics building (HPQ) is well on course after completion of the preliminary project phase. The building will provide the infrastructure for future research carried out by the Department of Physics. For up-to-date fundamental research, laboratories shielded from environmental influences are extremely important. Beginning around mid-February 2020, further information about the HPQ building will be available on a new website set up for this purpose (www.ethz.ch/hpq).
Infrastructure for vocational training
The Department of Physics is currently updating the technical facilities in its mechanical workshop in order to make available modern technologies to be used in the training of apprentices. In 2020 a new laser cutting and electric welding machine will be installed in the production mechanics workshop.
New professorships in the Department of
Physics
Tenure-track professorships are open in the fields of “Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics”, “Theoretical Cosmology” and “Computational Physics”. The positions are to be filled in 2020.
Appointments 2019
Professor Louise Harra, Director of the Physical-Meteorological Observatory Davos/World Radiation Center (PMOD/WRC) has been appointed Affiliated Professor for Solar Astrophysics at ETH Zurich.More...
Professor Yiwen Chu is establishing her group investigating Hybrid Quantum Systems in the Laboratory for Solid State Physics. More...
Professor Daniela Rupp is setting up her research group “Nanostructures and Ultrafast X-Ray Science”, also in the Laboratory for Solid State Physics. More...
Professor Sascha Quanz has been appointed Associate Professor at the Institute for Particle Physics and Astrophysics (IPA) at ETH Zurich. More...
Professor Jonathan Home has been appointed Full Professor of Experimental Quantum Information at ETH Zurich. More...
The Department Management expresses its congratulations and wishes continued success to all!
ERC grants, honours and prizes 2019
ERC grants (European Research Council Scholarships)
Other important honours and prizes
external page The Marcel Benoist Prize was awarded to Professor Nicola Spaldin, Associate Member of the Department of Physics.
Award-winning doctoral theses: Andreas Landig received the Swiss Nanotechnology PhD Award. Michal Rawlik received the CHIPP Award for his doctoral thesis. Joosep Parta, formerly in the Dissertori Group, received the CMS Thesis Award (2018). Ileana Cristina Benea-Chelmus, formerly in the Faist Group, was recognised three times: She received the QEOD Thesis Prize for fundamental aspects, the Hans-Eggenberger Prize for her doctoral thesis, and the SPG Prize.
Fatalities of department associates
On 4 February 2019, at the age of 32, Theo (Theodore) Walter, a doctoral student in the group of Professor Andreas Wallraff, died in a skiing accident.
Professor Alexey Soluyanov, who held an SNSF professorship at the University of Zurich and was previously a research assistant at the Institute of Theoretical Physics in the group of Professor Troyer, died on 26 October 2019 at the age of 36.
(For further announcements, see the end of this article).
The head of department expresses his sincere condolences to the relatives and former team colleagues of the two decedents.
2019 obituaries of retired department members
Professor Gert Viertel, ETH Professor Emeritus in the Department of Physics, died on 31 July 2019 at the age of 77.
Professor Jean-Pierre Blaser, ETH Professor Emeritus of Experimental Physics and first Director of the Paul Scherrer Institute, died on 29 August 2019 at the age of 97.
