Ernst Ruska-Centre for Microscopy and Spectroscopy with Electrons (ER-C)

Physics of Nanoscale Systems (ER-C-1)

Magnetic properties of interfaces & surfaces

Interfaces and surfaces of hybrid magnets exhibit novel phenomena due to the complex interplay of diverse degrees of freedom, such as spin, orbital, valley, and topological index. These interactions lead to unique functionalities and unexpected effects relevant to spintronics, with potential implications for low-power computing. Through advanced complementary techniques, transmission electron microscopy and momentum microscopy, our group investigates the interfaces and surfaces of hybrid quantum materials at high spatial, momentum, energy and spin resolutions.

Our research topics:

• 2D Topological Magnets

• Quantum Spin Mixing

• Van der Waals Heterostructures

• Ultrafast Magnetic Excitations

• Heteroepitaxial Nanostructures

• Magnetic and Electrostatic Mapping

Our expertise:

• Phase Contrast Electron Microscopy (Electron Holography and Lorentz Microscopy)

• In-Situ Electron Spectromicroscopy (Strain, Bias, Heating, Cooling, Beam Irradiation)

• Time- and Spin-Resolving Momentum Microscopy

• Photoemission Spectromicroscopy

• High-Resolution Spin-Polarized Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy

points of contact

Selected publications

• Origin of giant enhancement of phase contrast in electron holography of modulation-doped GaN, K. Ji, M. Schnedler, Q. Lan, J-F. Carlin; R.Butté; N. Grandjean, R. Dunin-Borkowski, P. Ebert, Ultramicroscopy, 264, 114006 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ultramic.2024.114006

• Identification and thermal healing of focused ion beam-induced defects in GaN using off-axis electron holography, K. Ji, M. Schnedler, Q. Lan, F. Zheng, Y. Wang, Y. Lu, H. Eisele, J-F. Carlin, R. Butté, N. Grandjean, R. Dunin-Borkowski, P. Ebert, Appl. Phys. Express. 17, 016505 (2024). https://doi.org/10.35848/1882-0786/ad163d

• Electrostatic extension of magnetic proximity effect in La_0.7Sr_0.3MnO₃,Q. Lan, M. Schnedler, L. Freter, C. Wang, K. Fischer, P. Ebert, R. E. Dunin-Borkowski., Phys. Rev. B (Letter), 108, L180410 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.108.L180410

• Electrostatic shaping of magnetic transition regions in La_0.7Sr_0.3MnO₃, Q. Lan, C. Wang, L. Jin, M. Schnedler, L. Freter, K. Fischer, J. Caron, X. Wei, T. Denneulin, A. Kovács, P. Ebert, X. Zhong, R. E. Dunin-Borkowski., Phys. Rev. Lett., 129, 057201 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.129.057201

• Highly complex magnetic behavior resulting from hierarchical phase separation in AlCo(Cr)FeNi high entropy alloys, Q. Lan, A. Kovács, J. Caron, H. Du, D. Song, S. Dasari, B. Gwalani, V. Chaudhary, R. V. Ramanujan, R. Banerjee, R. E. Dunin-Borkowski,, IScience, 25 (2022), 104047. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2022.104047

• Magnons in a two-dimensional Weyl magnet, Y.-J. Chen, T.-H. Chuang, J.-P. Hanke, Y. Mokrousov, S. Blügel, C. M. Schneider, & C. Tusche, Appl. Phys. Lett. 26, 124 (9): 093105 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0195222

• Spanning Fermi arcs in a two-dimensional magnet, Y.-J. Chen, J.-P. Hanke, M. Hoffmann, G. Bihlmayer, Y. Mokrousov, S. Blügel, C. M. Schneider, & C. Tusche, Nat. Commun. 13, 5309 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-32948-z

• Fermi surface chirality induced in a TaSe₂ monosheet formed by a Ta/Bi₂Se₃ interface reaction, A. Polyakov, K. Mohseni, R. Felici, C. Tusche, Y.-J. Chen, V. Feyer, J. Geck, T. Ritschel, A. Ernst, J. Rubio-Zuazo, G. R. Castro, H. L. Meyerheim & S. S. P. Parkin. Nat. Commun. 13, 2472 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-30093-1

• Quantum spin mixing in Dirac materials, Y.-J. Chen, M. Hoffmann, B. Zimmermann, G. Bihlmayer, S. Blügel, C. M. Schneider, & C. Tusche, Commun. Phys. 4, 179 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-021-00682-5

• From Photoemission Microscopy to an “All-in-One” Photoemission Experiment, C. Tusche, Y.-J. Chen, L. Plucinski, & C. M. Schneider, e-J. Surf. Sci. Nanotechnol. 18, 48 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1380/ejssnt.2020.48

• Time- and momentum-resolved photoemission studies using time-of-flight momentum microscopy at a free-electron laser, D. Kutnyakhov, R.P. Xian, M. Dendzik, M. Heber, F. Pressacco, S.Y. Agustsson, L. Wenthaus, H. Meyer, S. Gieschen, G. Mercurio, A. Benz, K. Bühlman, S. Däster, R. Gort, D. Curcio, K. Volckaert, M. Bianchi, C. Sanders, J.A. Miwa, S. Ulstrup, A. Oelsner, C. Tusche, Y. J. Chen, D. Vasilyev, K. Medjanik, G. Brenner, S. Dziarzhytski, H. Redlin, B. Manschwetus, S. Dong, J. Hauer, L. Rettig, J. Demsar, H.J. Elmers, P. Hofmann, R. Ernstorfer, G. Schönhense, Y. Acremann & W. Wurth, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 91, 013109 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5118777

• Imaging properties of hemispherical electrostatic energy analyzers for high resolution momentum microscopy, C. Tusche, Y.-J. Chen, C. M. Schneider, & J. Kirschner, Ultramicroscopy 206, 112815 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ultramic.2019.112815

• Group Velocity Engineering of Confined Ultrafast Magnons, Y.-J. Chen, K. Zakeri, A. Ernst, H. J. Qin, Y. Meng, & J. Kirschner, Physical Review Letters 119, 267201 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.267201

• Strong magnetic enhancement in self-assembled multiferroic-ferrimagnetic nanostructures, Y.-J. Chen, Y.-H. Hsieh, S.-C. Liao, Z. Hu, M.-J. Huang, W.-C. Kuo, Y.-Y. Chin, T.-M. Uen, J.-Y. Juang, C.-H. Lai, H.-J. Lin, C.-T. Chen & Y.-H. Chu, Nanoscale, 4449 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1039/C3NR00104K

• Large magnetoresistance in magnetically coupled SrRuO₃-CoFe₂O₄ self-assembled nanostructures, H.-J. Liu, V.-T. Tra, Y.-J. Chen, R. Huang, C. G. Duan, Y.-H. Hsieh, H. J. Lin, J. Lin, C.-T. Chen, Y. Ikuhara, & Y.-H. Chu, Adv. Mater. 25, 4753 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.201301461

You can also find our regularly updated publications list here

Last Modified: 10.04.2025