Dr. Jürgen Spitaler

Jürgen Spitaler is Key Scientist for Computational Materials Design at the Materials Center Leoben Forschung GmbH (MCL), where he is responsible for atomistic modelling of functional materials and method development in the area of atomistic modelling. He received his Master (2002) and PhD (2006) in theoretical solid state physics at the Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz, Austria, before working as a research assistant at the chair of Atomistic Modeling and Design of Materials at the Montanuniversität Leoben, Austria (2006—2008). In 2008 he started as a staff member at the Materials Center Leoben, and became group leader of the Atomistic Modeling group at MCL in 2012.

In the ERC Consolidator Grant CITRES (GA. Nr. 817190) Jürgen Spitaler is key researcher for atomistic modelling. He supervises the theoretical activities with a focus on ab-initio calculations of structural and electronic properties, lattice dynamics and Raman spectra in perovskite materials. He has also been responsible for the atomistic modeling parts in two Austrian national projects (FWF, Austrian science Fund): Project P29563-N36 “Origin of relaxor behaviour in Ba-based lead-free perovskites” (ends 30.06.2019), and Project I 4581-N (with Czech Republic) “Polarization decorrelation regions in perovskite relaxors” (start July 2020, end June 2023). Moreover he has been key researcher, project manager and WP-leader in a number of COMET-projects on structural and functional properties of nitrides and oxides, dealing e.g. with the atomic and electronic structure of TiO₂/Al₂O₃ interfaces, elastic properties for a large number of metals and ceramics, Cu and O diffusion in TiN, and thermal transport in AlGaN and Nb₂O₅.