MSCA HEAT4ENERGY Topfinancing

The HEAT4ENERGY project is in the framework of the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network within the Horizon Europe programme of the European Commission. The project is focused on the development of thermomagnetic devices and new materials to harvest heat from e.g. data centres, the food, pulp, paper and cement industries and convert this waste heat into electricity. There will be 10 PhD student positions on different subjects involved in the project. The research I will carry out is concerned with improving the understanding of the physics that drives the extraordinary response of thermomagnetic materials in external magnetic fields. The local environment of magnetic moments in thermomagnetic materials determines their magnetic response, and I will employ characterization techniques using x-rays, neutrons, positrons and Mössbauer spectroscopy for an in depth study of this local environment. X-ray and neutron diffraction will be used on bulk materials, while positron and Mössbauer spectroscopy is suited for both bulk and thin film samples. Expected results from the characterization performed in this study is an improved understanding of correlations between magnetic, electronic and lattice degrees of freedom. The insights will provide valuable feedback for the work package concerned with materials modelling, and enable tailored materials to be supplied to the work package concerned with constructing thermomagnetic devices for energy harvesting applications.