About
Christian Rüegg is a Swiss physicist and Director of the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) since 2020. He holds concurrent professorships at ETH Zurich (Department of Physics) and EPF Lausanne (Institute of Physics), and has been a Professor at the University of Geneva's Department of Quantum Matter Physics since 2012. His research focuses on strongly correlated quantum phenomena, spin dynamics in low-dimensional systems, and novel quantum materials.
- Director, Paul Scherrer Institute (since 2020)
- Professor, Department of Physics, ETH Zurich (since 2020)
- Professor, Institute of Physics, EPF Lausanne (since 2020)
- Professor, Department of Quantum Matter Physics, University of Geneva (since 2012)
Education:
- Ph.D. in Physics, Laboratory for Neutron Scattering, ETH Zurich & Paul Scherrer Institute (2001-2005)
- Undergraduate in Physics, ETH Zurich (1996-2001)
His research spans quantum phase transitions, Bose-Einstein condensation in magnetic materials, and development of neutron scattering techniques. He studies spin correlations in quantum materials under extreme conditions—high magnetic fields, pressures, and ultra-low temperatures—using neutron and X-ray scattering alongside bulk measurements.
Key trends in his recent work include Dirac magnons in 2D ferromagnets, topological quantum phase transitions, and fractional antiferromagnetic skyrmion lattices. His articles reflect expertise in frustrated magnets, heavy-electron physics, and metal-organic quantum spin systems.
Scientific Awards:
- ERC Consolidator Grant (2015)
- Erwin Felix Lewy-Bertaut Prize (2011)
- Nicholas Kurti European Science Prize (2010)
- Swiss Physical Society Award for General Physics (2006)
- Medal of ETH Zurich for Ph.D. Thesis (2005)
- Young Scientist Award, PSI Summer School (2002)
- Young Scientist Award, International Conference on Neutron Scattering (2001)
- Diploma with Distinction, ETH Zurich (2001)
Leadership & Committees: Rüegg chairs scientific advisory boards (e.g., SwedNess, ILL) and participates in international panels for neutron scattering facilities. He leads initiatives in policy, industry-academia collaboration (Innovaare AG, Swiss Innovation), and energy research (Swiss Competence Center for Energy Research).
