Nanoscopic probing of spatio-temporal relaxation in heterogeneous structures (A05)

• Subject Area: Experimental Condensed Matter Physics
• Term: since 2013
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 217133147

We will study active control mechanisms of nanoscale metal-to-insulator phase transitions in the prototype van-der-Waals material 1T-TaS2 by externally applied currents and fields, aiming at a comprehensive understanding of the energy pathways facilitating controlled metastability. To this end, we will combine expertise from ultrafast spectroscopy and microscopy with high-precision electrical transport, nanostructure lithography and near-field optical microscopy. We will investigate the nanometer spatial and femtosecond to picosecond temporal evolution of charge-density wave domains exposed to pulsed optical or electrical excitation, characterizing the roles of thermal transport, strain propagation and hot electron diffusion.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1073: Atomic Scale Control of Energy Conversion
• Applicant Institution: Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
• Project Heads: Professor Dr. Claus Ropers; Professor Dr. Sascha Schäfer, until 12/2018; Professor Dr. R. Thomas Weitz, since 7/2021