Photo (©) Alexandra Gasparini.
Published on Jan 23, 2023.
Originating from the south of Germany, I’m now working and living in Grenoble for almost 20 years. I started my career at the University of Stuttgart, where I studied high-temperature superconductors during my PhD. Then, I joined two consecutive European research collaborations developing high-field NMR instrumentation and methods, which brought me in contact with the Grenoble high magnetic field laboratory, and I decided to move to Grenoble. During that time, I had the chance to work at the HFML Nijmegen, later a founding member of the EMFL, and the KBFI in Tallinn, now an EMFL partner facility. The challenging field of NMR in high magnetic fields, often combined with very low temperatures, motivated me to join the NMR team in Grenoble as a permanent CNRS research engineer. Since that time, I’m constantly discovering interesting projects covering many scientific areas in chemistry and physics. Recent examples are studies of contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging and strongly correlated electron systems, like high-temperature superconductors, quantum magnetism, and heavy-fermion systems. Moreover, I’m also responsible for the instrumentation team at Grenoble. The engineers and technicians of our team develop original instrumentation and methods for many high-field experiments including advanced experimental techniques for optics, field and temperature metrology, and sample environments like dilution refrigerators. In addition to the stimulating work in an international research facility, I enjoy the exchange and discussions with the colleagues in Grenoble, the staff at the EMFL facilities, and the users from all over the world. Over the years, some of them became friends. In my free time, I’m hiking in the mountains around Grenoble and I’m singing in two choirs performing classical music. For the future, I’m looking forward to the operation of hybrid and all-superconducting high-field magnets at the EMFL that should allow higher fields, new experimental techniques, as well as an energy efficient and sustainable method for the generation of high magnetic fields.
