Ulrike Diebold

Ulrike Diebold is a University Professor at the Institute of Applied Physics, Vienna University of Technology, where she leads the Research Unit of Surface Physics. She concurrently serves as Vice President (part-time) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW). Her research focuses on atomic-scale investigations of oxide surfaces, catalysis, and water-oxide interactions using scanning probe microscopy and surface science techniques.

Research interests span surface physics, chemical physics, and solid-state phenomena, with emphasis on TiO₂, Fe₃O₄, and perovskite oxides. Key themes include surface defects, polaron dynamics, water adsorption, and catalytic mechanisms. Her group develops advanced methodologies for surface characterization and collaborates extensively on computational modeling.

She has received prestigious awards including the Wittgenstein Prize, ERC Advanced Grants (twice), and the Arthur W. Adamson Award. Major honors include memberships in the German Academy of Sciences (Leopoldina), Academia Europaea, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Her laboratory utilizes STM, AFM, LEED, and PLD systems for surface synthesis and analysis. Current projects investigate single-atom catalysis, electrochemical interfaces, and oxide thin-film growth. She leads an active research group with international collaborations and extensive third-party funding.