Experimental Physics of Functional Spin Systems
Prof. Christian Back
Research Field
The research of our group is focused on the detailed understanding of magnetization dynamics in hybrid materials comprising of ultrathin magnetic layers in combination with topological materials or with materials inducing strong interfacial spin-orbit interaction. We tailor novel hybrid magnetic structures and investigate their static and dynamic magnetic properties. Among the subjects covered in our research are the dynamics in confined magnetic systems, magnonics, spin orbitronics, hybrid topological materials, high resolution magnetic microscopy as well as magnetic phase transitions in low dimensional systems.
In our group we use several techniques to examine magnetization dynamics, the propagation of spinwaves and the efficiency of charge to spin current conversion. At the heart of our research projects are various time and spatially resolved high resolution magnetic microscopy techniques in combination with microwave excitation and detection.
Address/Contact
James-Franck-Str. 1
85748 Garching b. München
efs.office@ph.tum.de
+49 89 289 12401
Fax: +49 89 289 12414
Members of the Research Group
Professor
| Photo | Degree | Firstname | Lastname | Room | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Prof. Dr. | Christian | Back | 2023 | +49 89 289-12401 |
Office
| Photo | Degree | Firstname | Lastname | Room | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Gertrud | Weiß | 2025 | +49 89 289-12402 |
Scientists
| Photo | Degree | Firstname | Lastname | Room | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Dr. | Aisha | Aqeel | 2029 | +49 89 289-12660 | |
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Dr. | Lin | Chen | 2035 | +49 89 289-12406 | |
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Dr. | Korbinian | Geirhos | 2041 | +49 89 289-12674 | |
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Anastasiia | Korniienko | 2044 | +49 89 289-12400 | ||
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Dr. | Chen | Luo | – | 030 8062-15800 | |
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M.Sc. | Carolina | Lüthi | 2044 | +49 89 289-12400 | |
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M.Sc. | Maximilian | Mangold | 2031 | +49 89 289-12425 | |
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Sina | Mehboodi | 2033 | +49 89 289-12405 | ||
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Laura | Pietanesi | 2041 | +49 89 289-12409 | ||
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M.Sc. | Christian | Riedel | 2044 | +49 89 289-12400 | |
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M.Sc. | Jan | Sahliger | 2043 | +49 89 289-12409 | |
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Ph.D. | Dhavala | Suri | 2029 | +49 89 289-12660 | |
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Dr. | Takuya | Taniguchi | 2033 | +49 89 289-12405 | |
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M.Sc. | Franz | Vilsmeier | 2027 | +49 89 289-12403 |
Students
| Photo | Degree | Firstname | Lastname | Room | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Marko | Aligrudic | – | – | ||
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Chaitanya | Chawla | – | – | ||
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Raghav | Dhingra | – | – | ||
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M.Sc. | Jianping | Guo | 2037 | +49 89 289-12407 | |
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Johannes | Hielscher | – | – | ||
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B.Sc. | Thomas | Narr | 2031 | +49 89 289-12425 | |
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M.Eng. | Jian | Shao | 2035 | +49 89 289-12406 | |
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B.Sc. | Yuhan | Sun | 2037 | +49 89 289-12407 | |
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B.Sc. | Esteban Alberto | Vindas Prado | – | – |
Other Staff
| Photo | Degree | Firstname | Lastname | Room | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Dr. | Rebeca | Diaz Pardo | – | +49 89 289-12419 | |
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Stephan | Lichtenauer | – | +49 89 289-12404 | ||
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Dr. | Thomas | Meier | – | +49 89 289-12403 | |
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Thomas | Rapp | – | +49 89 289-12404 | ||
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Dr. | Alexis | Wartelle | 2035 | – |
Teaching
Course with Participations of Group Members
Offers for Theses in the Group
- Construction of a spectrometer for ferromagnetic resonance for frequencies up to 65 GHz
In dieser Arbeit soll ein neues Spektrometer für Messungen mit Methoden der ferromagnetischen Resonanz im Frequenzbereich zwischen 10 - 65 GHz aufgebaut und getestet werden.
- suitable as
- Bachelor’s Thesis Physics
- Supervisor: Christian Back
- Electrical detection of a domain wall in FeCo films
In diesem Projekt soll der anisotrope Magneto-Widerstand verwendet werden um eine einzelne Domänenwand in ferromagnetischen Nanostrukturen aus FeCo zu detektieren.
- suitable as
- Bachelor’s Thesis Physics
- Supervisor: Christian Back
- High resolution magnetic microscopy using the tip enhanced anomalous Nernst effect
- We want to use a tip-enhanced near-field microscope to enable high-resolution magnetic microscopy. In this experiment, the tip of a force microscope is illuminated with a laser and thus a large temperature gradient is generated locally (via the field increase at the tip). The temperature gradient generates an anomalous Nernst voltage locally, which can be detected via electrical contacts on the ferromagnetic nanostructure. With this method, it should be possible to realise magnetic microscopy with a spatial resolution of 20 nm.
- suitable as
- Master’s Thesis Condensed Matter Physics
- Supervisor: Christian Back
- Measurement of ferromagnetic resonance in perpendicular geometry on ferromagnet/topological insulator bi-layers
- In diesem Projekt sollen temperaturabhängige Messungen der ferromagnetischen Resonanz an Ferromagnet/Topologischen Isolator Heterostrukturen durchgeführt werden. Als Funktion der Temperatur sollte es möglich sein den Anstieg der Linienbreite zu beobachten, der durch die Dominanz der topologischen Oberflächenzustände bei tiefen Temperaturen hervorgerufen wird.
- suitable as
- Bachelor’s Thesis Physics
- Supervisor: Christian Back
- Dynamic detection of spin-orbit torques using standing spinwave pattern
- Current-induced spin-orbit torques (SOTs) in ferromagnet/nonmagnetic metal heterostructures open vast possibilities to design spintronic devices to store, process, and transmit information in a simple architecture. It is a central task to search for efficient SOT devices, and to quantify the magnitude as well as the symmetry of current-induced spin-orbit magnetic fields (SOFs). Here, we will evaluate an approach to determine the SOFs based on magnetization dynamics by means of time-resolved magneto-optic Kerr microscopy. A microwave current in a narrow Fe/GaAs (001) stripe generates an Oersted field as well as SOFs due to the reduced symmetry at the Fe/GaAs interface, and excites standing spin wave (SSW) modes because of the lateral confinement. Due to their different symmetries, the SOFs and the Oersted field generate distinctly different mode patterns. Thus, it is possible to determine the magnitude of the SOFs from an analysis of the shape of the SSW patterns. Specifically, this method, which is conceptually different from previous approaches based on line shape analysis, is phase independent and self-calibrated. It can be used to measure the current-induced SOFs in other material systems, e.g., ferromagnetic metal/nonmagnetic metal heterostructures.
- suitable as
- Master’s Thesis Condensed Matter Physics
- Supervisor: Christian Back
- Quantum transport in ferromagnet proximity driven exchange coupled superconducting nanowires
- Wir werden Thullium Yttrium Garnet (TIG)/Supraleiter-Heterostrukturen untersuchen, um den Einfluss des Supraleiters auf die Magnetisierungsdynamik über ferromagnetische Resonanz zu erforschen. Da TIG eine senkrechte magnetische Anisotropie aufweist, wäre es interessant, den Transport im Supraleiter durch Messungen wie die I-U-Charakterisierung eines auf TIG hergestellten SQUID zu untersuchen und die Flussquantisierung im SQUID als Funktion der Magnetisierung des TIG zu quantifizieren.
- suitable as
- Bachelor’s Thesis Physics
- Supervisor: Christian Back
- Spin wave propagation in Bi-YIG
- Spinwellenspektroskopie (elektrisch und optisch) und SQUID-Messungen sollen an ferrimagnetischen Bi-YIG Filmen durchgeführt werden, um die Eigenschaften der Filme in Bezug auf die Spindynamik zu charakterisieren. Wenn es die Zeit erlaubt, werden wir die Leistungsabhängigkeit spezifischer Spinwellen-Anregungen (MSBVW) untersuchen und die Beziehung zwischen kohärenten Spinwellen und Bose-Einstein-Magnonen (oder Magnonen bei der niedrigsten Energie) untersuchen.
- suitable as
- Bachelor’s Thesis Physics
- Supervisor: Christian Back
- Interplay between the spin-orbit torque and superconducting states in Ni/Bi bi-layers
- Durch Magneto-Transport Messungen bei tiefen Temperaturen können sogenannte Spin-Orbit-Torques detektiert werden, die ausgenutzt werden können um die Magnetisierung von dünnen Filmen zu manipulieren. In diesem Projekt sollen Kombinationen aus ferromagnetischen Schichten und Supraleitern untersucht werden.
- suitable as
- Bachelor’s Thesis Physics
- Supervisor: Christian Back
- Tracing in-plane magnetization switching dynamics by time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr microscopy
- The demonstration of magnetization switching induced by spin-orbit torques in a ferromagnetic metal (FM)/heavy metal (HM) bilayer has attracted tremendous attention due to possible application in magnetic random access memories (MRAM). Typically, an in-plane current sent through the heavy metal layer (e.g. Pt) gives rise to a spin accumulation at the FM/HM interface due to the spin Hall effect. The spin accumulation acts on the ferromagnet (e.g. Co) via the spin transfer torque effect and leads to magnetization dynamics and, ideally, to switching. In this Master thesis, we will use time resolved magneto-optical Kerr microscopy (TRMOKE), which is a time and spatially resolved technique, to trace the switching dynamics of an in-plane magnetized ferromagnetic metal. The following points will be addressed: 1) The Co/Pt thin films will be patterned to micrometer-size devices by using a by mask-free laser writer or by electron-beam lithography. 2) Time and spatially resolved magnetization dynamics will be measured by TRMOKE. 3) Finally, the experimental data will be compared to theory.
- suitable as
- Master’s Thesis Condensed Matter Physics
- Supervisor: Christian Back
Current and Finished Theses in the Group
- Manipulation of the spin-orbit interaction at interfaces by influencing the electronic density of states
- Abschlussarbeit im Bachelorstudiengang Physik
- Themensteller(in): Christian Back