Invited
From SrTiO3 to Cuprates and back to SrTiO3: A way along Alex Müller`s scientific career

K.A. Müller took a long route in science leaving many traces and imprints, which have been and are still today initiations for further research activities. We “walk” along this outstanding path, but are certainly not able to provide a complete picture of it, since the way was not always straight, often marked by unintended detours, which had novel impact on the international research society.

After World War II, science started a new blooming period, especially in solid state physics, which used to be the poor cousin in physics. In this early period, a number of novel systems were discovered, mostly in the need of applications to support the reconstruction of Europe. A lot of attention was devoted then to perovskite oxides, which, because of their ferroelectric properties, were excellent ultrasound transducers, piezoelectric converters, and pyroelectric devices. The most prominent members of this material class are PbTiO3 and its mixed ceramics with PbZrO3, still today installed in many applications, and being necessary ingredient for many techniques. BaTiO3 is similarly important, together with SrTiO3. Many other related compounds originated from this time, which all turned out to be of high scientific interest and relevant for new technologies (for a comprehensive review, see, Reference [ 1]). It was this exciting period when K.A. Müller started his research in experimental solid state physics.

1. Lines, M.E.; Glass, A.M. Principles and Applications of Ferroelectrics and Related Materials; Clarendon Press: Oxford, UK, 1977.