Dr. Erwin Steinbeiß was a valued colleague who played a significant role in shaping research at today’s Leibniz-IPHT and its predecessor institutions over several decades.

After completing his physics studies, he submitted his doctoral dissertation to Friedrich Schiller University Jena in 1965. During the 1970s and 1980s, he worked as a research associate at the former Physikalisch-Technisches Institut (PTI) in Jena, a materials science-oriented research and development institute within the Academy of Sciences of the GDR. His research focused on magnetic materials and layer systems for microelectronics, memory technology, and thermal radiation sensors.

With the founding of IPHT (then known as the Institute for Physical High Technologies) in 1992, Dr. Steinbeiß took over as head of the “Magnetics/Cryoelectronics” department, a position he successfully held until his retirement in 2000. During this time, he made significant scientific advances in the field of perovskite high-temperature superconductors, particularly concerning thermal radiation sensors and superconducting high-frequency components with transition temperatures above 100 K at the wafer level. Additionally, he explored fundamental questions in the physics of superconducting thin films, often collaborating closely with the Institute for Low-Temperature Physics at FSU Jena.
His scientific interests also extended to ceramic materials, their magnetic properties, and the crystallization of glasses.

Many of his former colleagues remember him as a mentor—whether as young scientists, laboratory assistants, or doctoral candidates. They recall him as a researcher with broad scientific curiosity and a great sense of humor, from whom they were able to learn a great deal.

Dr. Erwin Steinbeiß passed away on February 18, 2025, shortly before his 90th birthday.