Scientific Highlights

Demonstration of the flip-over effect. As a consequence of using a non-circular laser spot, the longest direction of the laser spot results in the shortest direction of the deposition pattern and vice versa.

The flip-over effect in pulsed laser deposition: Is it relevant at high background gas pressures?

In pulsed laser deposition the use of a rectangular or elliptical beam spot with a non 1:1 aspect ratio leads to the so called flip-over effect. Here, the longest dimension of the laser spot results in the shortest direction of plasma plume expansion.

Experimental geometry of the RSXD experiment on a film sample. The scattering plane contains the momentum transfer Q and the directions of the incoming and outgoing beam, ⃗k and ⃗k′, respectively. θ is the Bragg angle and χ0 is the angle between Q and the film surface normal ˆn. Ψ is an angle of sample rotation around the Q direction. The bottom arrow (in green) indicates the a-axis direction within the film plane when Ψ=0

Interplay between magnetic order at Mn and Tm sites alongside the structural distortion in multiferroic films of o-TmMnO3

We employ resonant soft x-ray diffraction to individually study the magnetic ordering of the Mn and the Tm sublattices in single-crystalline films of orthorhombic (o−)TmMnO3. The same magnetic ordering wave vector of (0q0) with q≈0.46 is found for both ionic species, suggesting that the familiar antiferromagnetic order of the Mn ions induces a magnetic order on the Tm unpaired 4f electrons.

Enhanced recrystallization kinetics of pulsed laser deposited amorphous 3YSZ and 8YSZ thin films leading to abnormal grain growth for 3YSZ.

Crystallization of zirconia based thin films

In pulsed laser deposition the use of a rectangular or elliptical beam spot with a non 1:1 aspect ratio leads to the so called flip-over effect. Here, the longest dimension of the laser spot results in the shortest direction of plasma plume expansion.