Prof. Salvador Ferrer Fábregas has been honored with the Spanish Vacuum Society (ASEVA) “All a devoted career” award for his outstanding contributions to the study of surface properties and to the development of characterization experimental techniques, noticeably in the field of X-ray diffraction, and for his crucial contribution to the creation and operation of the ALBA Synchrotron.

Salvador Ferrer is currently Associate Science Advisor at ALBA. Throughout his prominent scientific career, that has given place to many research projects and more than 180 scientific publications, he has worked at the Autonomous University of Madrid, where he conducted his doctoral thesis (1977) and was an Associate Professor (1981-87), at the Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory (1978-1980), at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF, 1988-2004), where he was Head of the Surfaces Group, and lastly at the ALBA Synchrotron (2004-2011), where he was the first Scientific Director and carried out a key role in the definition of the first beamlines and the training and consolidation of the scientific team. 

Salvador Ferrer was an ICMAB researcher, at the SURFACES group, from September 2011 to October 2012. During his time with he continued his research in magnetism, and he tried to establish synergies between the ICMAB and ALBA. Specifically, he participated in a project with Anna Roig and Jordi Faraudo in which they studied the aggregation of superparamagnetic nanoparticles in solution using X-ray microscopy, for applications related with hyperthermia treatments in nanomedicine. 

Regarding the synergies between the ICMAB and ALBA, his seed has grown and now we can say that there are many collaborative branches between the two institutions. For example, the SURFACES group has the Ultra-High Vacuum STM-AFM Laboratory and other equipment at ALBA.  Another evidence of our collaborations is that between 2014 and 2019, both institutions have co-autorhed 97 scientific articles, representing between 11 and 20 % of ALBA publications. Moreover, during this 5 years there have been 22 ICMAB users using the Synchrotron light. The ICMAB and ALBA also collaborate in the future high-resolution electronic transmission microscope, which will be installed in the ALBA facilities.

The ICMAB has between 3 and 7 users per year in ALBA and performs around 10 experiments. In total, between 2014 and 2019, there has been 22 users. The main beamlines used are, in this order: CIRCE, MISTRAL, MIRAS, MSPD, CLAESS and BOREAS. 

Since 2012 he is Associate Scientific Advisor, strongly contributing to the scientific strategy of the facility and investigating in different research fields, as for example magnetic domains and the physics of water.

Among his most relevant scientific contributions stand out the design and construction of the ID03 station at the ESRF for the in-situ study of the structure and morphology of surfaces, the observation of magnetic diffraction on surfaces, the development of surfaces diffraction during catalytic reactions at several atmospheres of pressure, and the use of magnetic dichroism and X-ray microscopy to study the configurations of the magnetic domains in thin films.

Congratulations, Salvador!

The other awardees

The other awarded researchers have been: Dr. Miguel Moreno Ugeda (CIC nanoGUNE), with the Best “junior” scientist ASEVA award for his outstanding contribution to the scanning probe microscopy and the application of this technique to the study of two-dimensional materials. And Dr. Edgardo Saucedo (IREC), with the “Improving our environment” ASEVA-TOYOTA Award for his contribution to the fabrication of new low-cost photovoltaic materials, avoiding critical chemical elements.

The awards ceremony will consist of a public debate between the award winners and personalities in the field of culture and will take place at the Madrid Students Housing before the end of the year in a date to be confirmed soon.

ASEVA: The Spanish Vacuum Society

ASEVA is a non-profit organization founded on 1963 as a specialised working group of the Spanish Committee of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP).  Its objective is to stimulate research and scientific collaboration in the fields of vacuum science, techniques and applications including related multi-disciplinary topics as solid-vacuum interfaces. 

This Society is committed to becoming a meeting point for scientists, university professors and engineers working in research technological centres and industries, operating in Spain. Thus, the main objective is to promote and contribute to the study, discussion and dissemination of science on vacuum and related techniques.

More information:

• Link to the ASEVA awards resolution and call: http://aseva.es/resolucion-de-los-primeros-premios-nacionales-de-ciencia-y-tecnologia-de-vacio-aseva-toyota/
• Link to the news at ALBA Synchrotron: https://www.albasynchrotron.es/en/media/news/salvador-ferrer-science-advisor-of-alba-honored-with-the-all-a-devoted-career-aseva-award