Erforschung neuer Materialien und Techniken zur magnetischen Datenspeicherung / Magnetische Grundlagenforschung

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Olav Hellwig
• Subject Area: Experimental Condensed Matter Physics
• Term: from 2000 to 2002
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5274956

The postdoc project deals with the growth and characterization of XPt3 (X = Cr, Mn, Fe, Co) intermetallic thin films and nanostructures which are of interest for magneto-electronic devices. Combining advanced growth methods with element-specific synchrotron-based characterization techniques such as resonant magnetic X-ray Kerr effect, resonant small-angle X-ray scattering and photoemission electron microscopy, we want to probe the micromagnetic properties of this class of materials. These techniques allow the study of magnetic structures combining element specificity with high spatial resolution. New information about fundamental magnetic properties such as exchange coupling at interfaces and grain boundaries of different magnetic phases and domain wall nucleation, propagation and pinning in complex alloy structures will be accessible on a nm length scale.Research will be mainly carried out at the IBM Alamaden Research Center working in the magnetic storage media group together with E.E. Fullerton and D. Weller. Ongoing collaboration with J. Stöhr at Stanford University and J. B. Kortright at Lawrence Berkeley Natl. Lab. will give access to the ALS synchrotron source in order to perform element-specific magnetic experiments. Additionally I want to stay in touch with my current supervisor Prof. H. Zabel and initiate a collaboration with his institute in Bochum. The project offers the unique chance to combine fundamental physical research and technical relevance in a cooperation with great scientific expertise.

• DFG Programme: Research Fellowships