Atom-by-atom magnetism

In our group we study quantum phenomena on the smallest possible scale: the scale of individual atoms. We make use of advanced scanning tunneling microscopes (STMs), which are not only able to image atoms, but can also be used to position atoms one-by-one into an arrangement of our choice. This way we can build pieces of ’matter’, starting from the fundamental building blocks. This is not limited to ordinary matter that nature provides us: by cleverly tuning the exact locations of the atoms, we can even engineer forms of matter that nature would never give by itself. This unique approach allows us to investigate how the combined quantum mechanics of individual atoms gives rise to material characteristics.

In particular our research focuses on magnetic phenomena. By sending high-frequency radio signals down to the microscope, we can controllably rotate the spins of individual magnetic atoms. When these atoms are for example arranged in a chain, their spins start to work together to create so-called magnons: quantum-mechanical quasiparticles that can carry magnetic signals. Magnons have been proposed as an energy-efficient alternative for electronics, but much is still to learn about them on the atomic scale.

If you are interested to learn more about our group or about possible research projects, please have a look at: http://ottelab.tudelft.nl/.