Fyzikální ústav Akademie věd ČR

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Institute of Physics ASCR, v. v. i. (FZU) is a public research institute, oriented on the fundamental and applied research in physics. The founder of the institute is the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic.

The present research programme of the Institute comprises five branches of physics: particle physics, the physics of condensed matter, solid state physics, optics and plasma physics. It also corresponds to the way how the institute is divided into major research divisions.

More about the research activities ...

Connecting the worlds of semiconductors and magnets: Researchers from the Institute of Physics ASCR realize an efficient spin-charge converter

Thursday, 21.08.2014

Current information technologies are either charge-based or spin-based. Semiconductor microprocessors are prime examples among the large variety of charge-based devices. They utilize the possibility offered by semiconductors to easily electrically manipulate and detect their electronic charge states representing the zeros and ones. Spin-based devices operate on an entirely distinct principle. In some materials, like iron, electron spins spontaneously align their direction which generates magnetism.

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The FUNBIO project – studying materials on the boundary of life

Monday, 19.05.2014, Ján Lančok, Jaromír Kopeček

Institute of Physics of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic has begun implementation of the Centre of functional materials for bio-applications (FUNBIO). This project is supported within 11th call of the OPPK (Operační program Praha – Konkurenceschopnost; Operational Programme Prague Competitiveness) structural funds of the European Commission, which significantly complements the current project Centre for Analysis of Functional Materials (SAFMAT).

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Physics helps economy: a new monograph on Econophysics from the Institute of Physics ASCR

Tuesday, 11.03.2014, Václav Janiš

Importance and impact of methods and techniques developed for studying physical problems has outreached the realm of natural sciences. Methods of quantum physics and statistical mechanics find more and more applications in biology, economy, informatics, or sociology. Physics has become one of the most important components of a number of new interdisciplinary research fields. Econophysics utilises methods of statistical mechanics and theory of phase transitions to model and understand processes in economy and financial markets.

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Relativity shakes a magnet: Researchers from Institute of Physics ASCR demonstrate a new principle for magnetic recording

Tuesday, 04.03.2014

Current technologies for writing, storing, and reading information are either charge-based or spin-based. Semiconductor flash or random access memories are prime examples among the large variety of charge-based devices. They utilize the possibility offered by semiconductors to easily electrically manipulate and detect their electronic charge states representing the “zeros” and “ones”. The downside is that weak perturbations such as impurities, temperature change, or radiation can lead to uncontrolled charge redistributions and, as a consequence, to data loss.

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Magnetic inside but not on outside: Researchers from the Institute of Physics introduce antiferromagnetic memories

Monday, 03.02.2014

In ferromagnetic materials, information can be stored in “zeros” and “ones” defined by the orientation of magnetic moments, which can be pictured as small compasses (see Fig. 1a). This technology is behind a range of memory applications from kilobyte magnetic stripe cards to terabyte computer hard disks. It is dangerous to place a parking ticket or a hard disk next to another magnet or device generating strong magnetic fields because the magnetic moments of the memory can be unintentionally reoriented and the information lost

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