Welcome to the Microscopy and Magnetism Group
Recent Scientific Highlights and News:
Field-Induced Double Spin Spiral in a Frustrated Chiral Magnet
X-rays and neutrons has been used to investigate the correlation between structural and magnetic chirality in magnetic fields and its impact on the polarization in multiferroic langasites. A long wavelength modulation of the magnetic structure has been found, and it is shown that the chirality of the crystals structure connects to chirality of the magnetic structure that leads to an additional electric polarization in this field induced phase, which, depending on the christal chirality, can either increase the electric polarization or lead to a reversal of it for increasing magnetic fields. The theoretical description based on allowed Lifshitz invariants intriguingly contain all the essential ingredients for the realization of topologically stable antiferromagnetic skyrmions.
Understanding the Superior Stability of Single-Molecule Magnets on an Oxide Film
A research team centered at the X-Treme beam line at the Swiss Light Source has demonstrated that spin-phonon coupling plays a major role in enhancing the magnetic stability of so-called lanthanide phthalocyanine double decker single-molecule magnets. This understanding is important in order to employ such molecules in future spintronics applications.
Ultrafast Transient Increase of Oxygen Octahedral Rotations in a Perovskite
Via femtosecond x-ray diffraction, we observe an ultrafast increase of the octahedral rotation angle in the perovskite EuTiO3 after ultrafast laser excitation. This is opposite to what is expected from an increase in temperature. We ascribe this increase to an effective change of ionic sizes that transforms directly into a change of the Goldschmidt tolerance factor. Rotating oxygen octahedra at will opens up the possibility to control electronic and magnetic properties of perovskites on ultrafast timescales.
Networks:
- NCCR MUST, Phase II (National Center of Competence in Research from the Swiss National Science Foundation) Molecular Ultrafast Science and Technology
- IFOX (FP7 Collaborative Project), Interfacing Oxides
- Fantomas (FP7 Marie Curie Initial Training Network), Femtosecond Opto-Magnetism and Novel Approaches to Ultrafast Magnetism at the Nanoscale
- Ultramagnetron (FP7 Collaborative Project), Ultrafast All-Optical Magnetization Reversal for Magnetic Recording and Laser-Controlled Spintronics
- MaNEP - Phase III (NCCR Programme of the Swiss National Science Foundation), Materials with Novel Electronic Properties
- NCCR Nanoscale Science/Swiss Nanoscience Institute (SNI)
Archive:
- 30th August 2013: Jakoba Heidler received the 1st award at the 'Joint European Magnetic Symposia Conference 2013' (JEMS) in Rhodes, Greece by the European Physical Society with her poster: 'Magnetoelectric coupling mechanisms in the multiferroic composite Co/PMN-PT (011) - a search using XMCD/XLD'.
- Carlos Vaz is the new beamline scientist at SIM.
- Urs Staub is the new leader of the MM Group.
- Frithjof Nolting is the new head of the Laboratory Condensed Matter Physics at the SLS.
Magnetismus untersucht mit Neutronen/Photonen (Lecture at Uni Basel FS13)
Michel Kenzelmann (PSI-LDM) und Frithjof Nolting (PSI-LSC)
Beginn: Mi. 27.2.2013 (9:00 - 11 Uhr), 2 Kreditpunkte
Kontakt: michel.kenzelmann@psi.ch; frithjof.nolting@psi.ch
Neutronen und Photonen ermöglichen faszinierende Einsichten in den elektronischen und magnetischen Aufbau von Materialien. In dieser Vorlesung werden die Grundlagen von Experimenten mit Neutronen und Photonen an Grossforschungsanlagen erklärt. Die Vielfältigkeit von Grossforschungsexperimenten wird mit Beispielen von Experimenten an magnetischen Festkörpern und Dünnschicht-Systemen bis hin Nanostrukturen erläutert. Ziel dieser Vorlesung ist es die Möglichkeiten dieser Techniken kennenzulernen und dabei einen vertieften Einblick in magnetische Materialien zu erhalten.
Inhalt:
Einführung, Typen von Neutronen- und Photononquellen, Grundlagen Magnetismus, Grundlagen Wechselwirkung von Photonen und Neutronen mit Materie, Materialstrukturen untersucht mit Diffraktion, Magnetismus untersucht mit Diffraktion, Reflektometrie/Oberflächen, X-ray Absorption Spektroskopie, Imaging, Inelastische Streuung, Zeitaufgelöste Messungen, Multiferroische Materialien
Download Flyer: Neutronen_Photonen_FS13.pdf
Empfohlene Literatur
- Für Neutronenstreuung: Gordon L. Squires, Introduction to the theory of thermal neutron scattering, Cambridge University Press, 1978.
- Für Photonen: Philip Willmott, An Introduction to Synchrotron Radiation – Techniques and Applications, Wiley 2011
- Photonen und Magnetismus: J. Stöhr, H.C. Siegmann, Magnetism – From Fundamentals to Nanoscale Dynamics, Springer 2006
- Für die Grundlagen des Magnetismus: Stephen Blundell, Magnetism in Condensed Matter, Oxford University Press, 2001.
Tutorial Day about Ultrafast Magnetization Dynamics
Speakers: Christoph Hauri (PSI/EPFL), Jan Lüning (Paris), and Peter Oppeneer (Uppsala)
The study of ultrafast magnetization dynamics is a fascinating and fast moving area of research. This tutorial day is directed at PhD students and Postdocs who started or want to start to work in this field. The aim is to provide some basic knowledge about modern ultrafast magnetization dynamics theory and advanced experiments using for example X-ray free electron lasers or terahertz radiation.
The tutorial day will take place on Tuesday, 19th June 2012 in WSLA/008 in the SLS hall at PSI. For details, see this Flyer.
Contact: frithjof.nolting@psi.ch
Special Session on Magnetism at Interfaces at the SPS Annual Meeting 2012
The ability to control the properties of interfaces has lead to important applications in nowadays electronic and magnetic devices. The continuing demand on miniaturization will further stimulate intense research efforts on interfaces in the field of condensed matter physics. This session focuses at magnetic phenomena at interfaces in systems with different length scales ranging from thin films to nanostructures, clusters or molecules on surfaces. The meeting aims to provide a platform for interdisciplinary discussions and will consist of invited and contributed presentations.
We are organizing this special session at the SPS annual meeting 2012 being held in June in Zürich. For details, see this link.
Contact: armin.kleibert@psi.ch
- Neutronen_Photonen_FS13.pdf: Flyer