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| Claudia Felser | |
|---|---|
| Name | Claudia Felser |
| Birth date | 1962 |
| Birth place | Bad Kreuznach, Rhineland-Palatinate |
| Fields | Materials science, Solid-state chemistry, Quantum materials |
| Institutions | Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids, TU Dresden, University of Marburg |
| Alma mater | University of Marburg, University of Cologne |
| Known for | Heusler compounds, topological semimetals, quantum materials |
| Awards | Leibniz Prize, ERC Advanced Grant |
Claudia Felser Claudia Felser is a German chemist and materials scientist known for pioneering work on intermetallic compounds, Heusler materials, and topological quantum materials. She has led research at major European institutes and universities, contributing to the discovery of new classes of functional materials with applications in spintronics, thermoelectrics, and quantum information. Her career bridges experimental solid-state chemistry, crystallography, and condensed matter physics collaborations across Germany and internationally.
Felser was born in Bad Kreuznach, Rhineland-Palatinate and completed her undergraduate and doctoral studies at the University of Marburg and the University of Cologne. During her doctoral training she worked on intermetallic chemistry and crystallography, collaborating with research groups associated with the Max Planck Society and the German Research Foundation. Her early mentors and collaborators included professors and researchers from institutions such as the University of Göttingen, RWTH Aachen University, and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. She received postdoctoral fellowships that connected her to research networks at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne and the University of Cambridge.
Felser joined the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids where she led research groups focused on Heusler compounds and novel quantum phases, later holding positions at the Technische Universität Dresden and maintaining collaborations with the Zürich and Basel research communities. Her research program integrates synthesis, single-crystal growth, and advanced characterization using techniques available at facilities such as the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), and the Institut Laue–Langevin. She has coordinated international projects funded by the European Research Council and national agencies like the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Germany) and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. Felser’s group has collaborated with theorists from institutions including Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, the University of Amsterdam, and Harvard University to combine ab initio modeling with transport and spectroscopy experiments.
Felser is widely recognized for systematic exploration of Heusler alloy families leading to the identification of half-metallic ferromagnets, magnetic shape-memory compounds, and topological phases in intermetallics. Her teams reported signatures of Weyl and Dirac fermions in materials related to TaAs, Mn3Sn, and other transition-metal pnictides and chalcogenides, advancing understanding of anomalous Hall and Nernst effects in topological magnets. She contributed to the discovery of magnetic and nonmagnetic topological insulators and semimetals in compounds connected to the Bi2Se3 family and to skyrmion-hosting materials akin to MnSi and FeGe. Felser’s work extended to thermoelectric Heusler materials comparable to CoSb3 and to spintronic candidates related to GaMnAs and Co2MnSi, combining synthesis with measurements at cryogenic facilities like CERN-partnered labs and national nanoscience centers. Her publications established design rules for realizing topology in crystalline solids, influencing research on quantum anomalous Hall effect, spin Hall effect, and materials for topological quantum computing.
Felser’s achievements have been recognized by prestigious awards including the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize and competitive grants such as the European Research Council Advanced Grant. She has received honorary positions and medals from societies including the German Chemical Society and invitations to speak at major conferences like the American Physical Society March Meeting and the Materials Research Society symposia. Her election to academies and networks includes membership or fellowships associated with the Leopoldina (German National Academy of Sciences), the American Physical Society, and collaborative fellowships with the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.
Felser has served on editorial boards of journals published by organizations such as the American Chemical Society, Nature Publishing Group, and IOP Publishing, and on advisory committees for facilities like the European X-Ray Free-Electron Laser and national synchrotron centers. She has chaired panels for the European Research Council and participated in program committees for international conferences including ICM, ICMSE, and regional workshops hosted by institutions like ETH Zurich and Imperial College London. Her mentorship has produced students and postdocs who have taken positions at universities such as the University of Oxford, Princeton University, and research institutes like the Paul Scherrer Institute.
Felser maintains collaborations across Europe and North America and balances research leadership with outreach to raise visibility of materials science in programs associated with the Max Planck Society and national educational initiatives. She is affiliated with research networks connecting the Helmholtz Association, the Fraunhofer Society, and European consortia supporting quantum materials and sustainable energy research.