Welcome to the Microscopy and Magnetism Group
Recent Scientific Highlights and News:
Structural involvement in the melting of the charge density wave in 1T-TiSe2
The authors find using resonant and non-resonant x-ray diffraction on an x-ray free electron laser that the structural distortion and the underlying electronic structure of the charge density wave in TiSe2 show different energetics at ultrafast timescales. This indicates that the lattice distortion stabilizes the charge density wave.
Single femtosecond laser pulse excitation of individual cobalt nanoparticles
The interaction of light and magnetism at the nanoscale is a topic of fundamental interest and with potential impact to future spintronics applications. in this work we address theoretically and experimentally the effect of femtosecond laser pulse excitation on the magnetic, structural, and chemical stability of individual magnetic cobalt nanoparticles including the role of the substrate or matrix. Eventually, we discuss possible pathways to achieve laser-induced magnetic switching in individual nanostructures.
This work has been highlighted as "Editors' Suggestion" in Physical Review B.
World Record: 7 nm Resolution in Scanning Soft X-ray Microscopy
During the past decade, scientists have put high effort to achieve sub-10 nm resolution in X-ray microscopy. Recent developments in high-resolution lithography-based diffractive optics, combined with the extreme stability and precision of the PolLux and HERMES scanning X-ray microscopes, resulted now in a so far unreached resolution of seven nanometers in scanning soft X-ray microscopy. Utilizing this highly precise microscopy technique with the X-ray magnetic circular dichroism effect, dimensionality effects in an ensemble of interacting magnetic nanoparticles can be revealed.
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