Catherine Pappas

Prof. dr. Catherine Pappas is a Full Professor and Group Leader of the Neutron and Positron Methods in Materials (NPM2) section at Delft University of Technology’s Faculty of Applied Sciences since 2009. She is an expert in neutron scattering science, particularly neutron spin echo spectroscopy and polarized neutrons, with research interests in magnetism, chiral magnetism, and skyrmions.

Her career includes leadership roles at the Hahn-Meitner Institute (now Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin), where she was Deputy Director of the Berlin Neutron Scattering Center and Head of the Neutron Instruments and Methods department. At TU Delft, she initiated major instrumentation projects such as the neutron powder diffractometer PEARL and the Dutch-UK collaboration LARMOR instrument, supported by the NWO-Groot grant.

Research Focus

• Magnetic properties of non-centrosymmetric materials
• Skyrmion dynamics in cubic helimagnets
• Neutron instrumentation development
• Quantitative neutron dark-field imaging
• Phase transformations in advanced materials

Recent Publications explore phase transitions in chiral magnets, skyrmion stability under pressure, and neutron spin echo applications. Her work bridges fundamental studies (e.g., spin glasses, quantum criticality) and practical innovations in neutron scattering techniques for materials analysis.

Awards & Grants

• NWO-Groot grant for LARMOR instrument development

Contact

• Email: c.pappas@tudelft.nl
• Office: Mekelweg 15, 2629 JB Delft, The Netherlands