Since 2016, the Charpak-Ritz Prize has been jointly awarded by the French Physical Society and the Swiss Physical Society to a physicist or a team for outstanding contributions to physics or its advancement.
The Charpak-Ritz Prize 2026 is awarded to Laura Heyderman for her pioneering contributions and outstanding innovations in the field of mesoscopic magnetic systems including artificial spin ice and nanomagnetic devices, and their characterisation with large scale facility methods, particularly synchrotron x-ray techniques.
Her PhD on the magnetic properties of coupled permalloy thin films was obtained in 1991 at the CNRS in Meudon, Paris, before working as a post-doctoral research assistant on electron microscopy of magnetic materials in the Physics and Astronomy Department, University of Glasgow, UK.
Since 2013, Laura Heyderman holds a joint appointment as Professor for Mesoscopic Systems at ETH Zurich and the Paul Scherrer Institute. Her research has consistently pushed the boundaries of our understanding of magnetic nanostructures, artificial spin systems, and functional hybrid materials.
She has made significant breakthroughs in the field of mesoscopic magnetic systems, which incorporate magnets with sizes ranging from tens of nanometres to a few micrometres. She combines innovative nanofabrication and large-scale facility characterisation methods, mainly synchrotron x-ray techniques but also low energy muon spectroscopy and neutron scattering, to uncover novel phenomena that occur as a result of the reduced dimensions.
In addition to her fundamental scientific contributions, her work is significant for high technology applications with particular impact in computing technologies. Her mesoscopic magnetic systems also have potential for use in mobile communications, as well as in sensors and actuators for the automotive and biomedical industries.
We cordially congratulate Laura for this outstanding recognition and wish her all the best in her personal and professional future.