Abstract submission is open online here from 1 October 2025 until 1 December 2025. Abstracts can be assigned to the MM related topics or to the topical sessions.  

The Metal and Material Physics Division (MM) program adresses the following MM related topics:

• Development of calculation methods
• Data driven material science: Big data and workflows
• Materials for storage and conversion of energy (Experiment and Theory)
• Hydrogen in materials (Experiment and Theory)
• Functional materials: performance, reliability and degradation (Experiment and Theory)                             
• Phase transformations (Experiment and Theory)
• Interface controlled properties , nanomaterials, and microstructure design (Experiment and Theory)
• Liquid and amorphous materials (Experiment and Theory)
• Mechanical properties and alloy design: e.g. light-weight, high-temperature, multicomponent materials (Experiment and Theory)
• Transport in materials: diffusion, conduction of charge or heat (Experiment and Theory)
• Structurally and chemically complex alloys
• Additive Manufactoring: microstructure development
• Topical Session 2026: Advanced Nanomechanics - Accelerating Materials Physics from the Bottom
• Topical Session 2026: Dislocations in Functional Materials
• Topical Session 2026: Physics-driven artificial intelligence for materials

Invited main speakers:

• Richard Hennig, University of Florida
• Lola Lilensten, Institut de Recherche de Chimie Paris
• Philipp Pelz, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
• Stefan Nolte, Friedrich-Schiller Universität / Fraunhofer IOF Jena
• Andrea Bachmaier, Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften
• Manja Krüger, Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg
• David Rodney, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1

Description of Topical Sessions: 

Advanced Nanomechanics – Accelerating Materials Physics from the Bottom

Organizers:
Verena Maier-Kiener, Montan-Universität Leoben
Mathias Göken, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
Christoph Kirchlechner, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
Svetlana Korneychuk, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

Recent advances in nanomechanics and micromechanics are revolutionizing our understanding of materials physics by enabling precise property mapping across multiple length scales. Cutting-edge in-situ deformation testing techniques in TEMs and SEMs, combined with high throughput characterization, allow for unprecedented insights into material behavior under laboratory conditions but also extreme environments. The integration of these operando methodologies further enhances our ability to probe real-time structural and mechanical responses, bridging the gap between fundamental research and application-driven materials design. This topical session will highlight state-of-the-art experimental and computational approaches for accelerating materials discovery and optimization. Topics will include advanced in-situ techniques, novel high-throughput screening strategies, and multi-scale simulations, with a focus on how these tools contribute to accelerated materials design. By bringing together experts from academia and industry, this topical session aims to foster discussions on the future of nanomechanical testing and its critical role in developing next-generation materials.

Invited Topical Speakers:

• Ralph  Spolenak, ETH Zürich
• Ruth Schwaiger, Forschungszentrum Jülich
• Michael Wurmshuber,  Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
• Subin Lee, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

Dislocations in Functional Materials: The Good, the Bad, and the Unknown

Organizers:
Xufei Fang, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
Matous Mrovec, Ruhr-Universität Bochum

Dislocations play a critical role in governing the functional properties in metals, ceramics, semiconductors, and thin films. Understanding dislocations is beneficial for tuning what they can deliver (e.g., in metals for plasticity, in ceramics for conductivity - The Good), and for eliminating what they are not desired for (e.g. as trapping centers in semiconductors, as interfacial defects in thin film growth - The Bad). Yet, dislocation mechanisms remain elusive (The Unknown) in many emerging functional materials such as compositionally complex alloys/oxides for magnetic and catalytic properties, intermetallics for structural applications, perovskite oxides for multi-physical properties such as electrical/thermal conductivity and ferroelectricity, and wide bandgap semiconductors and electronic oxide films for energy harvesting and conversion. Moreover, dislocations in crystalline solids with ionic/covalent bonding can carry charges, exhibiting strong response to external physical fields such as light illumination (photoplasticity), magnetic fields (magnoplasticity), electric fields (electroplasticity), bringing new challenges and opportunities for condensed matter physics. Contrasting the lack of systematic understanding of dislocations in ceramics, the understanding of dislocations is more advanced in metals. Transferring the knowledge from metals to ceramics/wide bandgap semiconductors, while comparing the differences among the different material classes, is paramount for designing functional materials with better performance.

Invited Topical Speakers:

• Shigenobu Ogata, University of Osaka
• Marin Alexe, University of Warwick
• Pierre Hirel, University of Lille

Physics driven artificial intelligence for materials

Organizers:
Ralf Drautz, Ruhr-Universität Bochum
Luca Ghiringhelli, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen
Jörg Neugebauer, Max-Planck-Institut für Nachhaltige Materialien GmbH Düsseldof

Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have revolutionized our ability to understand, predict, and design novel materials. However, the integration of physical principles with AI – so-called "physics-driven" or "physics-informed" AI – offers a route to more accurate, reliable, and interpretable models, crucial for materials discovery and design. This topical session aims to bring together leading experts at the intersection of computational physics, materials science, and AI to discuss the latest developments, challenges, and opportunities in the field. Topics will cover the incorporation of physical laws into machine learning architectures, the acceleration of simulations and experiments with AI, surrogate models for complex materials behavior, and successful examples of AI-driven materials design in academia and industry. The topical session will cover the following topics:

Data-driven discovery and design of materials
AI acceleration of simulations and experiments
Integration of domain knowledge into machine learning framework
AI in experimental materials science: robotics and high-throughput methods
Case studies: from battery materials to sustainable materials synthesis and design

Invited Topical Speakers:

• Silvana Botti, Ruhr-Universität Bochum
• Baptiste Bienvenu, Max-Planck Institut für Nachhaltige Materialien GmbH, Düsseldof
• Tilmann Hickel, Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung Berlin