This special issue is to celebrate the contribution of Prof Dietmar Fink on the occasion of his retirement from the Editorial Team of the Journal of Radiation Effects & Defects in Solids.
Prof Fink (2006-2020) overtook the responsibility for the journal from his graduate supervisor in 2006. With the saturation of knowledge in many fundaments of radiation effects, some re-orientation of the journal took place towards secondary effects of radiation such as radiation-enhanced and thermal diffusion of ion-implanted matter, plasma physics, new materials such as III/V semiconductors, High-Tc superconductors, fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, porous materials etc., as well as towards new technologies such as cluster implantation and nanotechnology, and towards applied sciences such as dosimetry, nuclear technology, optical material’s properties, electronics and optronics, medical radiation analysis and therapy, elemental analysis of, e.g. polymers, food and rocks, biotechnology, polymer science and geoscience. In 2006, a new scientifically challenging conference series with informal layout on ‘Recent developments in the study of radiation effects in matter’ (REM), was started in Mexico in close connection with the Radiation Effects journal, to honor great pioneers in the radiation fields and to promote new ideas and developments essentially related to the corresponding pioneer’s research fields.
In January 2010 the Radiation Effects & Defects merged with the journal of Plasma Device and Operations. On his 70th birthday in 2013, Prof Fink stepped down as Editor-in-Chief.
From the Editorial Team of the journal we wish Dietmar a very peaceful retired life. We hope that it’s a new beginning, something he has worked long and hard for. If he wants to play more golf, we are certainly not jealous of him, this is what he has earned after serving for so many years! Finally, I would like to thank all authors of this special issue for their contributions to this special occasion.