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 Department of Inorganic, Analytical and Applied Chemistry
University of Geneva, Sciences II
Quai Ernest Ansermet, 30
1211 Geneva 4 / Switzerland
Phone: + 41 22 379 64 18

 

 

 

Curriculum vitae and activities

• Born and primary school in Geneva
• Diploma work in applied mathematics: "Construction of an analog electrical network for computing the field of temperature inside a combustible rod (235U) and its cooling fins (Mg)", i.e., to solve the Poisson and Laplace equations by transformation to finite difference equations. (Referee's congratulations)

• Diploma work in applied mathematics: "Construction of an analog electrical network for computing the field of temperature inside a combustible rod (235U) and its cooling fins (Mg)", i.e., to solve the Poisson and Laplace equations by transformation to finite difference equations. (Referee's congratulations).

•  Diploma of physicist (solid state physics), University of Geneva. Diploma work's supervisor Prof. R. Lacroix. EPR laboratory (Dr. G. Hochstrasser) at Battelle Memorial Institute, Geneva. "Electron Paramagnetic Resonance of 55Mn2+ ( 6S5/2, I=5/2 (100%)) in natural boracite crystal (Mg3B7O13Cl), at room temperature and at X-band frequency (9.069 [GHz])". Crystal symmetry: orthorhombic, space group: Pca21, three inequivalents sites with local triclinic symmetry. The cations are at the center of deformed octahedra, surrounded by four oxygen atoms and two halogen (pseudo-tetragonal symmetry). A so called orthorhombic Spin-Hamiltonian was used to solve the Schrödinger equation. For Mn2+, a rather large Zero Field Splitting was found (three Kramers' doublets with a total separation of about 1.9 [cm-1] (E = + 0.051 [cm-1], | D| = 0.30 [cm-1]). An anisotropic hyperfine structure was observed with A// = 82 10-4 [cm-1] and A^ = 75 10-4 [cm-1]. Quantum mechanical computations, a simplified second order perturbation theory, explained some strong inequidistant hyperfine structures of the spectra. "Not allowed" hyperfine transitions were also observed. Dr. Hans Schmid and Dr. G. Hochstrasser, at that time at Battelle Memorial Institute, Geneva, proposed the subject. (Referee's congratulations)

• Model of structure of boracite crystals (cubic and orthorhombic phases).

• The fundamental energy levels of Mn2+ (6S5/2) in one site of Mg3B7O13Cl, at 20°C, split by the magnetic field.

• Ph. D. thesis (physics), University of Geneva. Supervisor Prof. R. Lacroix: "Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (X-band, Q-band) of 55Mn2+ ( 6S5/2, I=5/2) in boracite crystals (Me3B7O13X, Me = Mg, Zn, X = OH, Cl, Br, I). Effects of phase transitions and models for the trigonal and monoclinic phases, from4K to 900K". Supervisor Prof. R. Lacroix: "Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (X-band, Q-band) of 55Mn2+ ( 6S5/2, I=5/2) in boracite crystals (Me3B7O13X, Me = Mg, Zn, X = OH, Cl, Br, I). Effects of phase transitions and models for the trigonal and monoclinic phases, from4K to 900K".

• Acknowledgements: Nothing can be done in a laboratory without skilled engineers. Here, I want to cite Mr. Ernest Burkhardt (now retired) and Mr. Roland Boutellier without whom not much could have been done these last 20 years. I personally owe much to Prof. em. Hans Schmid since 1967 when he showed me for the first time his very impressive model of boracite crystal. He also opened me numerous scientific doors as well as human contacts. Many thanks