Physics graduate receives German-French university award for her thesis

The physicist Anna Maria Friedel has been awarded for her diploma thesis. (Photo: Galerie & Studio Grenadine)

Anna Maria Friedel studied Physics at the Technical University of Kaiserslautern (TUK) and completed several stays abroad during her studies. She wrote her thesis at TUK and at the Université de Lorraine (UL), located in Metz and Nancy, France. For this work in experimental physics, she received the Franco-German University Award Grand Est in the category "Science and Technology – Computer Science – Engineering" at the end of January. It was awarded for the first time and is endowed with 500 euros. This recognizes outstanding theses with a Franco-German connection.

Friedel studied Physics at TU Kaiserslautern. During her studies, she spent time abroad at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, USA, and at Uppsala University in Sweden. As part of her diploma thesis, she ultimately went to Nancy. The physicist conducted research both in Kaiserslautern and at UL. She focused on "Thin film materials with ultralow damping for novel magnonic phenomena." At TUK, she was supervised by Junior Professor Dr. Philipp Pirro from the Magnetism research group; in Nancy, she was guided by Professor Stéphane Andrieu and Associate Professor Sébastien Petit-Watelot from the Nanomagnetism and Spin Electronics research group.

The physicist is now working on her binational doctoral degree ("Cotutelle"). She is being supervised by both research groups on the German and French sides. Friedel researches so-called Heusler compounds for magnonic and spintronic applications.

The Franco-German University Award Grand Est was awarded for the first time. It is given in three categories (Humanities and Social Sciences / Arts, Letters and Languages / Management / Law; Sciences and Techniques – Engineering; Franco-German Project) and each is endowed with 500 euros. The award was initiated by the French Grand Est region, its five universities, and various educational and research institutions such as the Franco-German University (DFH), a binational organization whose main task is to initiate and promote Franco-German degree programs.