Enrico Colla

Dr. Enrico Colla received his diploma in physics at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich (ETHZ) in 1982. From 1982 to 1987 he worked on phase transitions and multi critical points in incommensurate systems at the Institute of Solid State Physics, ETH Zurich and obtained the PhD title - Dr. sc. nat. ETHZ - and awarded with the Silver medal of ETHZ (for his thesis work). Since 1990 he is employed at the Ceramics Laboratory, Materials Department, at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology-EPFL. His work on low-loss dielectric ceramics clarified the influence of structural phase transitions in non-ferroelectric complex perovskites for microwave applications on the temperature dependence of the relative permittivity. Between 1994 and 2003 he contributed to the understanding of switching mechanism and fatigue effects in ferroelectric thin films with a number of works based on Piezoelectric Atomic Force Microscopy (PFM) combined with innovative experimental approaches. The most recent areas of interest concern the effect of high electric field application on ferroelectric thin films with PFM and the development of high performance piezoelectric diskbender actuators. During the last 10 years he participated or directed several Swiss and European projects.

Most relevant publications: http://www.researcherid.com/rid/A-4305-2010