Professor Arne Brataas at the Department of Physics was recently awarded the prestigious ERC grant from the European Research Council. Only three researchers from NTNU have previously received the grant including NT Professor Bernt-Eirik Sæther at the Department of Biology. The other two are Nobel Prize winners Edvard and May-Britt Moser. The scholarship is individual and will contribute 19 million NOK over five years to Brataas’ research.
Arne Brataas belongs to the theoretical physics research group and is an internationally recognized researcher in areas such as spintronics. Spintronics is a field within electronics where researchers study the electron spin and its associated magnetic moment and fundamental charge. The energy consumption is minimal and manipulating electron spin opens up new areas of use and functionality. Today, the technology is used in devices such as electronic storage media. Brataas is studying this phenomenon in different materials and situations to develop the international research further.
– It is a very nice recognition from the European Research Council. The grant makes it possible to take even more risks in this relatively unexplored theme where there is such a great potential, Brataas says to Adresseavisen.
Arne Brataas became a professor at the Department of Physics when he was only 33 years old. He has held postdoctoral positions at TU Delft and Harvard University. He is also Chairman of the Kavli prize committee in nanoscience 2013-2019