Ivan Morera receives the Ramon Margalef award for the discovery of a new type of magnetism

The University of Barcelona and the Bosch i Gimpera Foundation have honoured former ICCUB researcher Ivan Morera with the Ramon Margalef Award, recognizing his discovery of a new form of quantum magnetism known as kinetic magnetism. The award was presented on December 16th during the XXI Social Council Awards and XVIII Bosch i Gimpera Foundation Awards ceremony, held at the Aula Magna of the University’s Historic Building.
 

The Ramon Margalef Award distinguishes the best research article in the experimental and health sciences derived from a doctoral thesis. Dr. Morera’s work, carried out during his PhD thesis at the Institute of Cosmos Sciences of the University of Barcelona (ICCUB) and published in Nature under the title “Kinetic magnetism in triangular moiré materials”, reveals a previously unknown mechanism by which magnetism can be engineered in laboratory settings.
 

Unlike conventional magnetism, found naturally in materials such as iron and typically difficult to modify, kinetic magnetism can be created and controlled through the administration of electric charges. This discovery opens the door to new technological applications, potentially transforming fields such as quantum materials, spintronics, and next‑generation electronic devices.
 

Ivan Morera’s research demonstrates that triangular moiré materials can exhibit a new form of quantum magnetism, kinetic magnetism, which can be created in the laboratory through the administration of electric charges. This discovery opens new avenues for technological applications in the field of quantum materials.
 

The ceremony also highlighted outstanding contributions across the humanities, social sciences, technology transfer, and biomedical innovation, reaffirming the University of Barcelona and Bosch i Gimpera Foundation’s commitment to advancing knowledge with social and scientific impact.
 

Dr. Morera’s achievement stands out as a landmark in the field of quantum physics and exemplifies the high‑quality research carried out by emerging scientists at ICCUB.

If you missed the award ceremony, you can visualitze it here: