MBI Staff Member – Personal info
Dr. Wolfgang-Dietrich Engel
wolfgang.engel(at)mbi-berlin.de
+49 30 6392 1337
B1: Electron and Spin Dynamics
Building B, 2.12
Position
- Project Coordinator: 4.3 "Nanoscaled Samples and Integrated Optics",
- Member of Project: 3.3 "Transient Structures and lmaging with X-rays"
Research
The Laboratory for Nanoscale Samples and Optics supports several experiments in different scientific projects of the MBI. We develop and produce thin-film sample systems on various substrates or free-standing with the focus on magnetic multilayers, alloys and metal foils using magnetron sputtering and thermal evaporation.
The close integration of deposition, structuring and characterization of these systems with experiments promotes fast feedback on sample performance and rapid development cycles. We collaborate closely with several MBI projects as well as with external cooperation partners to provide custom sample-related services.
To enable new experimental techniques as for example Spin Hall Effect measurements and skyrmion nucleation via high current density, a UV-lithography system is used to create masks, which enables necessary structuring and lift-off processes.
Topographic and magnetic characterization is carried out via atomic and magnetic force microscopy (AFM/MFM), electron microscopy (SEM, EDX), X-ray reflectivity and diffraction, Kerr-magnetometry and Kerr-microscopy.
In close cooperation with the central facility for electron microscopy (ZELMI) at the TU Berlin the 3D patterning on a few-micrometer and nanometer scale via electron beam lithography (EBL) and focused ion beam milling (FIB) is carried out.
We recently expanded the applications in the laboratory and adapted them for internal users:
The MFM setup can now also be used for targeted preparation and imaging of magnetization states, as a variably adjustable magnetic field has been integrated in combination with an fs laser and a current pulse setup.
A 2D transfer microscope is now available to precisely position extremely thin flakes (<100nm) on a substrate.
As part of the ERDF project SpezFX, we are investigating the possibility of commercially producing filter systems for the soft x-ray range.
MBI Publications
- Subwavelength localized all-optical Helicity-independent magnetic switching using plasmonic gold nanostructures Nano Letters 25 (2025) 4645–4651
- Defects in magnetic domain walls after single-shot all-optical switching Structural Dynamics 12 (2025) 024504/1-10
- Femtosecond charge and spin dynamics in a Co50Pt50 alloy Structural Dynamics 12 (2025) 024303/1-8
- First experiments with ultrashort, circularly polarized soft x-ray pulses at FLASH2 Structural Dynamics 12 (2025) 034301/1-12
- Spectroscopic probe of ultrafast magnetization dynamics in the extreme ultraviolet spectral range Physical Review B 111 (2025) 214423/1-9
- Coherent control of magnetization precession by doublepulse activation of effective fields from magnetoacoustics and demagnetization Applied Physics Letters 24 (2024) 102402/1-7
- Exploring the fundamental spatial Limits of Magnetic All-Optical Switching Nano Letters 24 (2024) 6865–6871
- Ultrafast terahertz Stark spectroscopy reveals the excited-state dipole moments of retinal in bacteriorhodopsin PNAS 121 (2024) e2319676121/1-7
- Excitation and detection of coherent nanoscale spin waves via extreme ultraviolet transient gratings Science Advances 10 (2024) /1-6
- Nanoscale polarization transient gratings Nature Communications 15 (2024) 10742/1-8