Professorship at the University of Augsburg for Felix Büttner
Prof. Dr. Felix Büttner has been called at the University Augsburg. He heads now a joint research group at HZB. © Uni Augsburg
Felix Büttner has led a junior research group at HZB. Now he has accepted a call to the University of Augsburg. As head of a joint research group, he will continue his studies of magnetic skyrmions at BESSY II.
Felix Büttner has been leading a junior research group at HZB since the beginning of 2020, funded by the Young Investigator Grant of the Helmholtz Association. In spring 2022, he was awarded the Walter Schottky Prize of the German Physical Society for his pioneering achievements in the field of magnetic skyrmions. Since July, he holds a professorship at the Institute of Physics, University Augsburg.
Felix Büttner studied in Göttingen and received his doctorate in 2013 for his work at the interface of magnetism and X-ray physics. After a stint in industry at Daimler AG, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from 2015-2020.
Prof. Dr. Büttner investigates nanotextures in magnetic thin-film materials and drives the development of ultrahigh-resolution X-ray microscopy techniques. The aim is to understand the particle-like dynamics of such topological textures and to prepare their application in information technology.
Under a cooperation agreement between the University of Augsburg and HZB, Büttner will work one day a week at HZB, where he runs laboratories in Wannsee and carries out measurements at BESSY II. His research group will remain in full size.
- Imaging Ellipsometry for Process Control of Thin-Film DevicesA German–Israeli research team led by Dr. Andreas Furchner has demonstrated how imaging ellipsometry enables non-destructive characterisation and quality control of microstructured MXene thin films during device fabrication. The authors used two complementary ellipsometry approaches for precise, multi-scale access to key material properties. The work positions imaging ellipsometry as a powerful platform for monitoring thin-film uniformity, device integrity, and functionality throughout processing, including critical lithographic steps. The study was published in Applied Physics Letters and selected as an Editor’s Pick.
- Cool vaccines in rural Kenya: solar solution has been awarded by UNIn May 2026, Tabitha Awuor Amollo is spending some weeks as a guest scientist at HZB, analysing perovskite thin films at BESSY II. The Kenyan physicist from Egerton University, Nairobi, was recently recognised for her achievements in research and teaching. For the development of a solar-powered refrigeration system for use in rural health centres, she has been awarded the 2026 Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD)-Elsevier Foundation Award. An interview on exceptional projects and daily struggles of a scientist. Questions were asked by Antonia Rötger.
- BESSY II: How intrinsic oxygen shortens the lifespan of solid-state batteriesAlthough solid-state batteries (SSBs) demonstrate high performance and are intrinsically safe, their capacity currently declines rapidly. A team from the TU Wien, Humboldt-University Berlin and HZB has now analysed a TiS₂|Li₃YCl₆ solid-state half-cell in operando at BESSY II using a special sample environment that allows for non-destructive investigation under real operating conditions. Data obtained by combination of soft and hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS and HAXPES) revealed a new degradation mechanism that had not previously been identified in solid-state batteries. They have gained some surprising insights, particularly regarding the harmful role played by intrinsic oxygen. This study provides valuable information for improving design and handling of such batteries.