Transition énergétique

Abandon de l’énergie nucléaire, développement de l’énergie solaire et éolienne, production d’énergie à partir de la biomasse, réduction de la consommation d’énergie. D’ici 2050, la Suisse doit atteindre la neutralité climatique. Un objectif ambitieux, rendu plus urgent que jamais par une situation géopolitique de plus en plus difficile. Comment faire pour mettre en place ces prochaines années un approvisionnement énergétique durable et résistant pour la Suisse? Comment les énergies renouvelables peuvent-elles être utilisées de manière optimale? Quelles sont les nouvelles technologies les plus prometteuses? Au PSI, des chercheurs s’efforcent de trouver des réponses à ces questions décisives.

PSI scientists Valerio Scagnoli (left) and Urs Staub working on their experiment at SLS

The electron torus can help us to understand high-temperature superconductors

Paul Scherrer Institute researchers prove, for the first time, the existence of toroidal currents in solids

PSI-Feriencamp 2011

Suchen Sie für Ihr Kind ein spannendes Angebot während den Sommerferien? Möchten Sie in ihm die Neugier und Begeisterung für naturwissenschaftlich-technische Themen wecken? Die Berufsbildung und das Komitee für Chancengleichheit führt dieses Jahr zum achten Mal das PSI-Feriencamp durch!

surface x-ray diffraction

LaAlO3 - Buckling under pressure to hand over the charges

In this paper, we report on the change in the atomic structure of the conducting interface between the insulators LaAlO3 and SrTiO3 as a function of the LaAlO3 layer thickness. We discovered that the atoms at the interface buckle in an attempt to counteract the internal electric field produced when these two insulators touch one another.

Band dispersion of superconducting Ba0.6K0.4Fe2As2

Observation of a ubiquitous three-dimensional superconducting gap function in optimally doped Ba0.6K0.4Fe2As2

The iron-pnictide superconductors have a layered structureformed by stacks of FeAs planes from which the superconductivity originates. Given the multiband and quasi three-dimensional1 (3D) electronic structure of these high-temperature superconductors, knowledge of the quasi-3D superconducting (SC) gap is essential for understanding the superconducting mechanism.

Christian David in front of the SLS

Röntgenpreis for X-Ray research goes to Christian David

On 26th November 2010, Christian David, scientist at the Laboratory for Micro and Nanotechnology, received the Röntgenpreis for research in radiation science. David pioneered a method to enhance the quality of X-ray images. He received the award jointly with Franz Pfeiffer from Technische Universität München who worked closely together with him.
The award

simulation of a vortex structure

Direct Determination of Large Spin-Torque Nonadiabaticity in Vortex Core Dynamics

We use a pump-probe photoemission electron microscopy technique to image the displacement of
vortex cores in Permalloy discs due to the spin-torque effect during current pulse injection. Exploiting the
distinctly different symmetries of the spin torques and the Oersted-field torque with respect to the vortex
spin structure we determine the torques unambiguously, and we quantify the amplitude of the strongly

Nature Physics Cover Picture

Moving Monopoles Caught on Camera - researchers make visible the movement of monopoles in an assembly of nanomagnets

For decades, researchers have been searching for magnetic monopoles; isolated magnetic charges, which can move around freely in the same way as electrical charges – since magnetic poles normally only occur in pairs.

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High-resolution method for computed nano-tomography developed

A novel nano-tomography method developed by a team of researchers from the Technische Universität München (TUM), the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) and the ETH Zurich opens the door to computed tomography examinations of minute structures at nanometer resolutions. The new method makes possible, for example, three-dimensional internal imaging of fragile bone structures. The first nano-CT images generated with this procedure was published in the renowned journal Nature on September 23, 2010.