PSI

Niel Schröter’s research at PSI has focused on exotic materials and demonstrated their fascinating electronic states for the first time. His work has now been recognised through one of the Swiss Physical Society’s annual awards. He plans to build on this basic research in future and pave the way for quantum computers.

Researchers at the PSI and ETH Zurich have investigated the extent to which direct capture of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the ambient air can help to effectively remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. The result: With careful planning, for example with regard to location and provision of the necessary energy, CO₂ can be removed in a climate-effective manner. The researchers have now published their analysis in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.

It's another milestone on the path to full operation of the X-ray free-electron laser SwissFEL with five experiment stations in all: "First light" at the experiment station Furka. It clears the way for experimental possibilities that are unique worldwide. Team leader Elia Razzoli explains what the Furka Group is planning to do.

As an international team of researchers discovered, the old Italian masters Stradivari and Guarneri relied on unexpected chemical additives in making violins.

Together with international colleagues, PSI researchers have now been able to make correlated metals more readily usable for applications in superconductivity, data processing, and quantum computers.

In the laboratories of PSI, researchers are producing proteins of the novel coronavirus Sars-CoV-2. The University Hospital of Zurich is using these in a long-term study to investigate how many people in Switzerland have actually been infected with the virus.