• research

phenomena

Our research is focussed on electronic phenomena in electronic oxides, in particular transition metal oxides, and dedicated electronically active organic molecules. The phenomena include electronic and ionic transport, electron transfer reactions, electrochemical redox processes, ferroelectricity and piezoelectricity, electron correlation effects and magnetic phenomena, as well as space charge formation and field effects.
Most of our projects aim at progress in the fundamental understanding of these phenomena on the nano-scale and at the discovery and the exploration of novel electronic functions.

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  nanoscale electron transfer - towards redox-based Tera-bit memories
  In a range of oxides, for example transition metal oxides, field-induced ion migration takes place at relatively low temperatures in extended defects within the crystal lattice or in amorphous systems. This ion migration is typically accompanied by redox reactions at ... (more)
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  complex oxide interfaces - valency changes, metal-insulator transitions
  Transition metal oxides (TMO), in particular perovskite-structured crystals, exhibit a broad variety of interesting phenomena such as charge- and spin-density waves, Jahn-Teller distortions, colossal magnetoresistance, unusual metal-insulator transitions, and ... (more)
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  electrochemistry at the nano scale
  In electrochemical processes, the size reduction of structures from the micrometer to the nanometer scale leads not only to a miniaturization of fabricated or modified units, improved cells for e.g. photolytic hydrogen production but also has tremendous fundamental implications. Processes ... (more)
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  polar oxides - exploiting ferroelectric and piezoelectric effects
  Ferroelectricity is a cooperative phenomenon in the crystal lattice of polar materials, e. g. specific perovskite structured oxides ABO₃ where, for example, A = Ba, Pb, etc. and B = Ti, Zr, etc. Ferrolectric.polarization arises from a tiny, spontaneous displacement of ... (more)
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  molecular electronics - concepts beyond the CMOS world
  Specific organic molecules are capable of conduction and of storing single (or few) electrons which, in principle, can be controlled and manipulated. Molecules can be tailor-made by chemical synthesis in order to tune their electronic properties and to create ... (more)