Project Details
Projekt
Physics - Magnetism - Element-selective imaging of magnetic material properties in the realm of femtoseconds and nanometers.
Applicant
Dr. Patrik Grychtol
Subject Area
Experimental Condensed Matter Physics
Term
from 2012 to 2014
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 223355873
The field of magnetism has progressed rapidly in recent years, driven in large part by the quest for understanding correlated matter as well as by the information industry¿s demand for denser and faster data storage devices. However, there is still no consistent microscopic model of magnetism, and it is still not known how correlated dynamics and spatial inhomogeneities determine the remarkable properties of magnetic systems on short time and length scales. As a consequence, continued progress in understanding the fundamental interactions underlying magnetism requires new approaches that combine femtosecond time resolution with nanometer spatial resolution.In this project, a new understanding of magnetic materials will be uncovered by directly capturing the fastest dynamics in magnetic materials at nanometer spatial scales. My research will take advantage of recent exciting breakthroughs at the University of Colorado, the Technische Universität Kaiserslautern and the Forschungszentrum Jülich which have demonstrated new capabilities for element-selectively probing the fastest dynamics in magnetic materials relevant to function at the nanoscale. I will employ few-femtosecond pulses in the extreme ultraviolet region generated by tabletop soft x-ray sources, which, in combination with coherent imaging techniques, will allow me to capture coupled spin, charge and structural dynamics with elemental specificity. Beyond investigations of magnetization dynamics at a fundamental level, this methodology will also allow for unique studies of material properties in physics, chemistry and biology with unprecedented detail.
DFG Programme
Research Fellowships
International Connection
USA
