The Memorandum of Understanding between Charles University and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rosendorf e. V. (HZDR) has been signed. The aim of the Memorandum is to broaden and deepen the scientific and technological cooperation as well as extend the collaboration towards various new activities between two Large Research Infrastructures.

The results obtained within MGML are also included in the diploma thesis “Unconventional behavior of Ce and Yb compounds induced by extreme pressure” (Petr Král). Petr Král won a third place in the competition for the best thesis in material sciences held annully by the CRYTUR Company.

Before the current crisis, a mini-school for budding physicists was planned and organized by scientists at the Technical University of Munich and MGML, Charles University – a cooperation project funded by the Bayerisch-Tschechischen Hochschulagentur. But as it has turned out, Corona forced the event to be held in a virtual format. The silver lining is that this format allowed a larger number of people from around the world to participate.

Researchers at MIPT Laboratory of Terahertz Spectroscopy together with their MGML and international colleagues discovered a new phase of nanoconfined water; separate water molecules that are confined within nanocavities formed by ions of cordierite crystal lattice. The discovered phenomenon can also find practical applications in ferroelectrics, artificial quantum systems, and biocompatible nanoelectronics.

A Joint Declaration on Cooperation between Research Infrastructures MGML and NanoEnviCz was signed at the beginning of August 2020. Both sides confirmed their intention to work closely together in the liaison areas of science and research.

The basic condition for conduction relevant research is the availability of suitable samples. Despite the many crystal growth techniques available in MGML, several growth difficulties can always remain unsolved leading to very small or multiphase samples. We have implemented a microstructuring technique of multiphase or irregular samples to create devices for charge transport measurements. This allows us fabrication of samples with well-defined crystal orientation and dimensions so the resistivity can be determined with high precision despite sample size.