Christoph Freysoldt

Dr. Christoph Freysoldt serves as Group Leader of the Defect Chemistry and Spectroscopy group and Head of IT for the Computational Materials Design department at the Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials in Düsseldorf. He leads research focused on point defects in semiconductors, density functional theory (DFT) code development (SPHInX), and machine learning applications in materials science.

Education:

• PhD in Physics (2007), Free University of Berlin
• Diploma in Chemistry (2002), Leipzig University
• Fellow of International Max Planck Research School (2003–2007)

Research Interests: His work bridges computational materials science and experimental characterization, emphasizing defect chemistry, surface phenomena under high electric fields, and algorithmic advancements. He develops tools for atom probe tomography analysis and integrates machine learning to address materials complexity.

Awards:

• Outstanding Referee (Physical Review Journals, 2024)
• J.H. Block Lecture (International Field Emission Society, 2023)
• Gold Medal (International Chemistry Olympiad, 1996)

Advising & Labs: Leads the Defect Chemistry and Spectroscopy group, collaborating on projects like field evaporation energy loss spectroscopy and data-centric materials science roadmaps. His group’s computational tools (e.g., SPHInX, sxdefectalign) are widely used in defect studies.