Conference report - Diana Nikolova, Calorics 2024

This month I was invited to attend the Calorics 2024 conference held at the Møller Institute at the University of Cambridge. It was an incredible opportunity to gain insight into the field of calorics, which is a field we are not yet well-acquainted with.

The talks, given by both academics and industry representatives, spanned a wide range of findings and a multitude of techniques. A variety of devices exploiting caloric phenomena were presented and, remarkably, there was a demonstration of a working barocaloric freezer developed by Prof. Xavier Moya and his company Barocal. It was exceptional also to meet the community and make connections within it – as newcomers, we were welcomed warmly. We have come back with a multitude of knowledge and ideas for our own research.

I’d like to extend my thanks to the organizers of the conference – Xavier Moya, Neil Mathur, and Mengfan Guo, - for putting together an excellent event and inviting us to attend. I am grateful also to my supervisors Helen Gleeson and Richard Mandle for their support in my PhD. Finally, thank you to the Soft Matter Physics group for providing funding and allowing me to attend Calorics 2024!