2021 Winner

The 2021 Nicholas Kurti Science Prize for Europe

Oxford Instruments is delighted to announce that Dr. Tino Gottschal of the Technical University of Dresden has been selected as the winner of the 2021 Nicholas Kurti Science Prize. Dr. Tino Gottschall is recognized for his achievements in the investigation of magnetocaloric and multicaloric materials in static and pulsed magnetic fields leading to a better understanding of the transformation phenomena advancing the field of magnetic refrigeration.

“I am truly grateful to receive the 2021 Nicholas Kurti Science Prize. With magnetic materials being a field I’m really passionate about, I have invested many years into its research and development, so receiving this award is a great honour for me."

The Nicholas Kurti Science Prize promotes and recognises the novel work of young scientists working in the fields of low temperatures and/or high magnetic fields in Europe.

The winner will be formally presented with the Nicholas Kurti Science Prize trophy at an upcoming European conference, where they will present their award-winning research work.

Nicholas Kurti Science Prize Selection Committee

The Nicholas Kurti Science Prize selection committee was very pleased to recognise the winners' research works. The committee consists of leading European physicists, chaired by Professor George Pickett, Lancaster University, UK.

The objective of the Nicholas Kurti Science Prize is to promote and recognise the novel work of young scientists working in the fields of low temperatures and high magnetic fields within Europe. Oxford Instruments is aware that there is a critical and often difficult stage for many such researchers between completing their PhD and gaining a permanent research position. The company has therefore been helping individuals who are producing innovative work by offering assistance both financially and through promotion of their research work, through sponsoring the Nicholas Kurti Science Prize for 15 years, together with other such prizes for research in physical science in the Americas, Japan, China and India. The Nicholas Kurti Science Prize is named in honour of the late Professor Nicholas Kurti (1908-1998). Professor Kurti is known for his distinguished work in ultra-low temperature physics at the Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford, UK which during his career earned the name “the coldest spot on earth” as a consequence of the ground-breaking research conducted there; using adiabatic demagnetisation Professor Kurti was able to create temperatures of a millionth of a degree above absolute zero.

Previous Winners

The previous winners of the Nicholas Kurti Science Prize are Professor Dr Alexander Ako Khajetoorians, Dr Lapo Bogani, Professor Ronald Hanson, Professor Mathias Kläui, Professor Dr Christian Rüegg, Professor John Morton, Professor Lieven Vandersypen, Professor Kostya Novoselov, Professor Andreas Wallraff, Dr Silvano De Franceschi, Dr Isabel Guillamón, Dr Andrea Caviglia, Dr Francois Permentier and Dr Erwan Bocquillon, Dr Philip Moll and Dr Menno Veldhorst.