Surface Physics

Many important chemical and physical processes take place at surfaces or interfaces, e.g. corrosion (rusting of iron), catalysis or the step-by-step assembly of a microchip on a semiconductor wafer.

In our group we investigate how solid surfaces can change structurally, electronically and magnetically in the nano-range. This is done in cooperation with the Surface Physics Laboratory of the TU Vienna, which is headed by Prof. Ulrike Diebold.

Oxides

Transition metal oxides (TMOs) are a class of substances frequently found in the earth's crust. They are used in catalysis, electronics or alternative energy production. They have a multitude of astonishing physical properties, which result from their only partially occupied d-shells. These electrons are strongly correlated and their description usually requires methods beyond conventional DFT.