New Helmholtz Young Investigator Group at HZB

Felix Büttner has set up a holography chamber at Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Felix Büttner has set up a holography chamber at Brookhaven National Laboratory. © privat

Dr. Felix Büttner will establish a Helmholtz Young Investigator Group (YIG) on topological solitons at the HZB beginning in March 2020. Topological solitons occur in magnetic quantum materials and can contribute to extremely energy-efficient switching processes. Büttner wants to develop a new imaging technique at BESSY II to study these quasi-particles.

Dr. Felix Büttner has received funding from the Helmholtz Association following a tough selection process. He will now build up his own research group, a Helmholtz Young Investigator Group (YIG).

Until now, he was doing research as a postdoc at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA, USA.  Büttner has already distinguished himself with numerous publications in the field of magnetic quantum materials.

At the HZB, he wants to develop a new high-resolution technique at the BESSY II synchrotron source that will enable the imaging of complex magnetic structures under realistic conditions at room temperature.

He will focus on antiferromagnetic topological solitons that occur in certain materials and are considered important candidates for extremely energy-efficient data storage. “There has been little progress in antiferromagnetic soliton research so far due to a lack of high-resolution imaging techniques that can detect antiferromagnetic topological solitons in actual devices”, Büttner explains and adds: “The HZB offers high-tech facilities and expertise in all these areas, making it the perfect place for this ambitious project.

arö


You might also be interested in

  • A new way to control the magnetic properties of rare earth elements
    Science Highlight
    17.07.2024
    A new way to control the magnetic properties of rare earth elements
    The special properties of rare earth magnetic materials are due to the electrons in the 4f shell. Until now, the magnetic properties of 4f electrons were considered almost impossible to control. Now, a team from HZB, Freie Universität Berlin and other institutions has shown for the first time that laser pulses can influence 4f electrons- and thus change their magnetic properties. The discovery, which was made through experiments at EuXFEL and FLASH, opens up a new way to data storage with rare earth elements.
  • HZB magazine lichtblick - the new issue is out!
    News
    09.07.2024
    HZB magazine lichtblick - the new issue is out!
    In his search for the perfect catalyst, HZB researcher Robert Seidel is now getting a tailwind – thanks to a ERC Consolidator Grant. In the cover story, we explain why the X-ray source BESSY II plays an important role for his research.

  • BESSY II shows how solid-state batteries degrade
    Science Highlight
    09.07.2024
    BESSY II shows how solid-state batteries degrade
    Solid-state batteries have several advantages: they can store more energy and are safer than batteries with liquid electrolytes. However, they do not last as long and their capacity decreases with each charge cycle. But it doesn't have to stay that way: Researchers are already on the trail of the causes. In the journal ACS Energy Letters, a team from HZB and Justus-Liebig-Universität, Giessen, presents a new method for precisely monitoring electrochemical reactions during the operation of a solid-state battery using photoelectron spectroscopy at BESSY II. The results help to improve battery materials and design.