News

To promote new scientific collaborations in the field of computational materials science, representatives of the CAMMS Center for Computational Molecular and Material Science at Tel Aviv University visited the Theory Department at the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society (FHI). The meeting marks the start of the exchange program, supported by the Max Planck Israel Programme.  more

An international team of researchers from the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) directly observed how angular momentum is transferred and conserved within a crystal lattice. Using intense terahertz laser pulses, the researchers were able to selectively control these processes, which unveiled a surprising effect: during the angular momentum transfer, the direction of rotation reverses – caused by the rotational symmetry of the material. The results provide new insights into the foundation of magnetism and open up possibilities for tailored control of quantum materials. more

In recognition of their scientific work, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation is supporting four young researchers of the Fritz Haber Institute with a Humboldt Research Fellowship for Postdocs: Dr. Alexander Gorfer from the Theory Department, Dr. Roey Ben David and Dr. Young Jae Kim from the Interface Science Department, and Dr. Sejun An from the Molecular Physics Department. more

As a member of the jury, Prof. Dr. Beatriz Roldán Cuenya, Director of the Interface Science Department at the Fritz Haber Institute, presented this year’s Eduard Rhein Foundation Culture Award to the Swiss psychiatrist, explorer and environmental pioneer Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Bertrand Piccard. more

Researchers from the Department of Physical Chemistry at the Fritz Haber Institute and Freie Universität Berlin have revealed the arrangement of water molecules at the interface between liquid water and air. Their findings help to better understand interfacial chemistry, which is largely determined by the specific arrangement of the water molecules. The study shows that one parameter in particular - one that has been neglected until now - is of fundamental importance: the water twist. more

As part of this year’s Girls’ Day on April 23, 2026, 32 girls aged 10 to 15 visited the Fritz Haber Institute and gained insight into the diverse work carried out in the research groups and workshops through hands-on experiments and craft projects. more

With the aim to precisely understand its function, researchers from the Inorganic Chemistry Department and Interface Science Department of the Fritz Haber Institute, together with colleagues from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion investigated the Cu/ZnO/Al₂O₃ catalyst system used for industrial methanol production during reaction conditions. They found that the dynamic, temperature-sensitive nature of the Cu-ZnO interaction is the key to its function – opening up new avenues for rationally improving this process. more