Research (JP Bucher)

Nano-scale objects are the subject of an intense research activity owing to the key issues in spin electronics, magnetic data storage and sensors. Our research is concerned with the synthesis and growth of such objects on nanoscale periodic lattices on surfaces. The so-called bottom up approach is adopted, which consists in starting from the atomic or molecular building block in order to achieve more complex structure by self-organization. Ultrahigh vacuum as well as wet, electrochemical techniques are used for this purpose. On the other hand by means of such arrangements we aim at increasing our knowledge in spin physics and answer fundamental questions. State of the art near field probes are used such as ultrahigh vacuum low temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), spin-polarized (SP)-STM and magnetic force microscopy (MFM). Such techniques are mostly the result of instrumental developments by the team itself. Theoretical support is guaranteed by the team’s international collaboration with leading theory groups.

Research Activies

Spin-polarized STM spectroscopy on single objects

Visualizing the Spin State of Individual Molecules

Structure and Spin-Polarized States of Cobalt Nanoislands

Magnetism of sub-micrometer dots and wires

Collaborations

M. Ruben (KIT, Karsruhe); molecule magnet deckers, B. Barbara (Institut, Néel); nanospintronics, M. Abel (Univ. Marseille); spin networks, V. Stepanyuk (MPI, Halle); nanomagnetism, J. Onoe (Univ. Nagoya); molecular layers & carbon, K. Fink (INT, Karlsruhe), M. Boero (IPCMS, Strasbourg).

People

Fomer members