Mesoscopic Systems

The Mesoscopic Systems Group is based at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) and is a joint laboratory between PSI and the ETH Zurich. With the current research focus being the investigation of novel magnetic and multiferroic thin film systems and nanostructures we are making use of the clean rooms and large facilities at the Paul Scherrer Institute and fostering the synergies with the Department of Materials, ETH Zurich. If you want to find out more about us and check for open positions, please visit the ETH Website.

Patterned magnetic thin films are of fundamental scientific interest, with new phenomena occurring as the lateral dimensions are reduced below 1µm. The resulting nanoscale magnetic elements are also of technological importance for a variety of industrial applications, for example magnetic recording heads and media, magnetic random access memory (MRAM) and miniaturised actuator elements.

We can use electron beam lithography and extreme ultraviolet interference lithography to pattern the films into a variety of magnetic elements with different shapes and sizes. Using synchrotron X-ray microscopy techniques, it is possible to carry out detailed observations of magnetic domains, both ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic, and in thin film and multilayer magnetic elements. We also have projects employing both X-ray and neutron scattering, and low energy muons to study large assemblies of nanoscale magnets.

Photoemission Electron Microscope at the Swiss Light Source
Scanning Transmission X-Ray Microscopy at the Swiss Light Source
Small Angle Neutron Scattering SANS-I X-ray Scattering
cSAXS Beamline at the Swiss Light Source
Low-energy µSR at PSI
SEXTANTS at SOLEIL