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
- Transient Magnetic Gratings on the Nanometer Scale Structural Dynamics 7 (2020) 054501/1-13
- Element-Specific Magnetization Dynamics of Complex Magnetic Systems Probed by Ultrafast Magneto-Optical Spectroscopy Applied Sciences 10 (2020) 7580/1-15
- Time-resolved near-edge x-ray absorption spectroscopy in the water window and beyond using laboratory-based laser plasma sources X-Ray Lasers 2018 (2020) Proceedings of the 16th International Conference on X-Ray Lasers ICXRL 2018 (2020) 147-154
- Photoinscription of optical microstructures in fused silica with few-cycle pulses SPIE Proceedings Series 11268 (2020) 11268ON/1-6
- Optical inter-site spin transfer probed by energy and spin-resolved transient absorption spectroscopy Nature Communications 11 (2020) 871/1-7
- Element specificity of transient extreme ultra-violet magnetic dichroism Physical Review Letters 124 (2020) 077203/1-6
- Origin of strong-field-induced low-order harmonic generation in amorphous quartz Nature Physics online (2020) 1-11
- From stripes to bubbles: Deterministic transformation of magnetic domain patterns in Co/Pt multilayers induced by laser helicity Physical Review B 102 (2020) 174412/1-8
- Magneto-optical functions at the 3p resonances of Fe, Co, and Ni: Ab-initio description and experiment Physical Review Letters 122 (2019) 217202/1-6
- Fast current-driven domain walls and small skyrmions in a compensated ferrimagnet Nature Nanotechnology 13 (2018) 1154–1160