Pfeiffer Vacuum welcomes this year's Röntgen Prize winner Dr Adriana Pálffy-Buß

Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU) is awarding the Röntgen Prize this year to Dr Adriana Pálffy-Buß. Since completing her doctorate, the prize winner has been conducting research in the theory division at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg. She is receiving the award for her outstanding contributions in the field of theoretical atomic and nuclear physics, in particular, for the development of a new control mechanism for X-ray quanta.

Dr Adriana Pálffy-Buß was one of the first in the relatively new research field of X-ray quantum optics to demonstrate in ground-breaking theoretical work, how to control single X-ray photons by means of suitable nuclear transitions. This innovative technology opens up opportunities for the development of new ultracompact information storage.

The predictions of the physicist were recently confirmed experimentally at DESY in Hamburg. The theoretical and experimental work with the participation of Dr Adriana Pálffy-Buß has been published in numerous prestigious journals. She has also published significant works on the interaction of X-ray lasers with atomic nuclei, which promises an interesting application for storing energy.

“Basic research and progress, as well as theory and practice, are closely linked. This is the reason why Pfeiffer Vacuum has been partnering with various research institutions for decades, including the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg, where our vacuum solutions are regularly used. We’re particularly pleased therefore that Dr Adriana Pálffy-Buß is this year’s Röntgen prize winner,” said Daniel Sälzer, Managing Director of Pfeiffer Vacuum, on the occasion of the award.

The Röntgen Prize is awarded annually at an academic award ceremony of the Justus Liebig University for outstanding work on basic research into radiation physics and radiation biology. The award is named in memory of Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, who was a professor in Giessen from 1879 to 1888. The award primarily recognises the work of young scientists. The €15,000 prize is donated by Pfeiffer Vacuum and the Ludwig Schunk Foundation. On 28 November, one day before the award ceremony at JLU, Dr Adriana Pálffy-Buß visited Pfeiffer Vacuum in Asslar and reported on her research findings.

More information online