Optimal design of molecular systems

The chemist Dr. Sabine Richert from the University of Freiburg has been awarded a German Research Foundation (DFG) grant of 1.8 million euros for an Emmy-Noether junior research group. Under her leadership, the group will explore over the next six years which molecular properties materials need to have in order to be able to transfer and store information as efficiently as possible.

Sabine Richert is conducting fundamental research in the field of molecular spintronics, a new branch in nanoelectronics. The so-called spin is a property of unpaired electrons, which play an important role both in organic and inorganic matter. “A fundamental understanding of the factors influencing the spin dynamics is essential for the development of devices for organic spintronics,” says Richert. The latter, in turn, could serve as a basis to advance the development of quantum computers or to improve the efficiency of organic LEDs and solar cells.

Within the framework of her project, which lies at the interface between the fields of Physics, Chemistry and Material Sciences, Richert investigates the structure-function relationships in organic systems. “The advantage of organic spintronics is that the properties of materials can be varied, allowing us to explore how a molecular system needs to be designed in order to function optimally for the respective applications,” she explains.

The financial support of an Emmy-Noether group enables early-career stage researchers to build up their own work group with their own research topic. “Similar to a junior professorship, there will be PhD positions available in my group. The doctoral students, as well as the Bachelor’s and Master’s students working on the project, will be supervised directly by myself.”