Scientific Highlights
Bilayer manganites reveal polarons in the midst of a metallic breakdown
The origin of colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) in manganese oxides is among the most challenging problems in condensed- matter physics today. The true nature of the low-temperature electronic phase of these materials is heavily debated. By combining photoemission and tunnelling data, we show that in the archetypal bilayer system La2-2xSr1+2xMn2O7, polaronic degrees of freedom win out across the CMR region of the phase diagram.
Investigation of a new method for the diagnosis of cancer in breast tissue
Collaboration between research, hospital and industry aimed at transferring innovative procedure into daily practice.
Observation of Orbital Currents in CuO
Although high-temperature (Tc) superconductivity was discovered in the cuprates 25 years ago, there is still no consensus on its microscopic origin.
X-ray methods help to understand brain disorders better
An international team of researchers from Denmark, Germany, Switzerland and France has developed a new method for making detailed X-ray images of brain tissue, which has been used to make the myelin sheaths of nerve fibres visible. Damage to these protective sheaths can lead to various disorders, such as multiple sclerosis. The facility for creating these images of the protective sheaths of nerve cells is being operated at the Swiss Light Source (SLS), at the Paul Scherrer Institute.
The electron torus can help us to understand high-temperature superconductors
Paul Scherrer Institute researchers prove, for the first time, the existence of toroidal currents in solids
LaAlO3 - Buckling under pressure to hand over the charges
In this paper, we report on the change in the atomic structure of the conducting interface between the insulators LaAlO3 and SrTiO3 as a function of the LaAlO3 layer thickness. We discovered that the atoms at the interface buckle in an attempt to counteract the internal electric field produced when these two insulators touch one another.
Observation of a ubiquitous three-dimensional superconducting gap function in optimally doped Ba0.6K0.4Fe2As2
The iron-pnictide superconductors have a layered structureformed by stacks of FeAs planes from which the superconductivity originates. Given the multiband and quasi three-dimensional1 (3D) electronic structure of these high-temperature superconductors, knowledge of the quasi-3D superconducting (SC) gap is essential for understanding the superconducting mechanism.
Röntgenpreis for X-Ray research goes to Christian David
On 26th November 2010, Christian David, scientist at the Laboratory for Micro and Nanotechnology, received the Röntgenpreis for research in radiation science. David pioneered a method to enhance the quality of X-ray images. He received the award jointly with Franz Pfeiffer from Technische Universität München who worked closely together with him.
The award
Direct Determination of Large Spin-Torque Nonadiabaticity in Vortex Core Dynamics
We use a pump-probe photoemission electron microscopy technique to image the displacement of
vortex cores in Permalloy discs due to the spin-torque effect during current pulse injection. Exploiting the
distinctly different symmetries of the spin torques and the Oersted-field torque with respect to the vortex
spin structure we determine the torques unambiguously, and we quantify the amplitude of the strongly