6, May 2021

Oxford Instruments NanoScience Announces 2021 Nicholas Kurti Science Prize Winner

Oxford Instruments is delighted to announce that Dr. Tino Gottschall, Group Leader at the Dresden High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), has been selected as the winner of the 2021 Nicholas Kurti Science Prize.

The Award is in recognition for Dr. Gottschall’s innovative work on magnetocaloric materials in the field of fundamental and applied sciences.

Some chemical elements and metal alloys change their temperature when being subjected to a magnetic field. The investigation of this so-called magnetocaloric effect in static and pulsed magnetic fields is the scientific area of Tino Gottschall. His research led to a better understanding of the transformation phenomena that take place in these materials advancing the field of magnetic refrigeration both for room-temperature applications as well as for the liquefaction of hydrogen. He is particularly interested in how more efficient and environmentally friendly cooling processes could be implemented in the future. His work has a very topical background: the increasing penetration of cooling applications in our everyday lives is leading to a steadily growing ecological footprint. New processes such as magnetic cooling could minimise this burden on the climate and the environment.

The objective of the Nicholas Kurti Science Prize is to promote and recognise the novel work of young scientists working in the fields of low temperatures and/or high magnetic fields in Europe.

Image credit:  R. Weisflog/HZDR

“I am truly grateful to receive the 2021 Nicholas Kurti Science Prize. With magnetic materials being a field I’m really passionate about, I have invested many years into its research and development, so receiving this award is a great honour for me. My thanks to the selection committee for choosing me and, of course, to Oxford Instruments for making this prestigious award possible for so many years now” comments Dr. Tino Gottschall.

The 2021 Nicholas Kurti Science Prize selection committee is chaired by Professor George Pickett, Lancaster University and includes Professor Rolf Haug, Universität Hannover, Professor Vladimir Dmitriev, P L Kapitza Institute, Moscow, Professor Dominik Zumbühl, University of Basel and Dr Silviano De Francheshi, Institute for Nanosciences and Cryogenics, Grenoble.

Based on his significant achievements in the field of magnetic refrigeration, Dr. Tino Gottschall became the co-founder of MagnoTherm Solutions in 2019. He has also published numerous papers and reviews on the magnetocaloric effect and contributed to magnetic research, making him one of the most cited European scientists under the age of 35 in the field of magnetic materials.

The Nicholas Kurti Science Prize

Oxford Instruments is aware that there is a critical and often difficult stage for many between completing their PhD and gaining a permanent research position. The company therefore would like to help individuals who are producing innovative work by offering assistance both financially and through promotion of their research work. The prize is named after Professor Nicholas Kurti (1908-1998), who is known for his distinguished work in ultra-low temperature physics at the Clarendon Laboratory, Oxford University.

The previous winners of the Nicholas Science Prize are Rebeca Ribeiro-Palau, Centre de Nanosciences et de Nanotechnologies (C2N), CNRS, Saclay, France, and Landry Bretheau, Institut Polytechnique de Paris.