Emanuel Lörtscher

Emanuel Lörtscher is a Senior Research Scientist in the Physical Information group of the Science of Quantum and Information Technology department at IBM Research Europe – Zurich.

His research is focused on optics, mechanics and electronics on the nanoscale with applications in molecular electronics, nanomechanics, plasmonics and advanced micro- and nanointegration.

He is project leader responsible for the design and realization of the 'noise-free' labs of the new Binnig & Rohrer Nanotechnology Center, a unique platform for cutting-edge fabrication and characterization in nanotechnology. He acts as principle investigator of a joint project on plasmonic sensing (SNF grant 152944, Field-enhanced chemical-optical spectroscopy platform for molecular sensing) together with ETZH (Prof. L. Novotny) and the University of Zurich (Dr. K. Venkatesan). Within the NCCR MSE, he collaborates with the University of Basel (Prof. M. Mayor, Prof. C. Sparr) on developping a solid-state platform for molecular reaction compartments and with ETHZ D-BSSE (Prof. M. Fussenegger) on the development of an implant for on-demand hormone production.

Emanuel Lörtscher studied Physics at the Federal Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ). After receiving his PhD from the University of Basel in 2006 with honors (summa cum laude), he joined IBM as a postdoctoral fellow and became a Research Staff Member in 2008.

He received the 2007 Swiss Physical Society Award for Applied Physics ('Oerlikon Prize') and the Faculty Prize of the Faculty of Science of the University of Basel in the same year.

Internal achievement awards such as

• Outstanding Technical Achievement Award 'Integration of III-V Semiconductor on Si' (2018);
• Research Division Award 'Transport and Friction in Graphene' (2018);
• Research Division Award 'Nanowire Tunnel Devices' (2017);
• Outstanding Technical Achievement Award for 'Strain in Nanowires' (2015);
• Outstanding Technical Achievement Award “Binnig & Rohner Nanotechnology Center, “Noise-free” Labs” (2013);
• Research Division Technical Accomplishment “Binnig & Rohrer Nanotechnology Center „Noise-free” Labs” (2012);
• Research Division Technical Accomplishment (Science and Base Technology) “Materials Science of Semiconducting Nanowires” (2008);
• Outstanding Technical Achievement Award (Science and Base Technology). “Reversible and Controllable Switching of a Single-Molecule Junction” (2007);
• Research Division Technical Accomplishment (Science and Base Technology). “Reversible and Controllable Switching of a Single-Molecule Junction” (2006).