Institut für Materialphysik

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AG Palakkal - Complex Thin Film Systems / Advanced Epitaxy

Bild 1 MainWe focus on synthesizing functional materials for data and energy applications by taking magnetism as the core topic and catalysis, ferroelectrics, and photovoltaics as the subtopics of research. Our primary expertise is fabricating thin films using methods such as hybrid molecular beam epitaxy-pulsed laser deposition (MBE-PLD) and ion-beam sputtering. We are preparing materials aiming at functional properties and correlating their structure to the functionalities.We work with oxides, oxynitrides, and telluride systems. We will update many more stories of our research activity here (AdvancedEpitaxy)in the future.



Hybrid molecular beam epitaxy-pulsed laser deposition (MBE-PLD)
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The main technique we use to produce thin films is a custom-made hybrid pulsed laser deposition (PLD).
A radio-frequency (RF) microplasma source (for gases like N2, H2) and molecular beam sources (for elements like Te, Se, S, Zn) attached to the PLD make it a hybrid MBE-PLD setup.
This hybrid PLD allows us to grow materials that are feasible by PLD and MBE with both cation- and anion-engineering possibilities. Three dedicated UHV chambers are used to deposit various materials to avoid cross-contamination.
We perform detailed structural characterization of the thin-film surface, interface, and bulk using techniques such as atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray reflectivity (XRR), rocking curve analysis, reciprocal space mapping (RSM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), etc.
Advanced characterizations: Magnetometry (SQUID magnetometers), DC transport, magnetoresistance, Hall effect (Physical Property Measurement System), optical properties (Spectroscopic ellipsometry), electrocatalytic oxygen evolution/reduction reactions (ER/ORR) (using RRDE).

ACTIVE RESEARCH TOPICS
A. Magnetic materials for electro/photocatalysis. e.g. La2NiMn(ON)6 and 3d transition-metal (TM) doped ZnO
B. Ferroelectric, photovoltaic, optoelectronic, photocatalytic materials with tuneable metastability, e.g., SrNb(ON)3
C. Magnetic materials for non-volatile memory and electrocatalysis. e.g. van der Waals Cr(1+ 𝛿)Te2and High-Entropy Tellurides.
Possible Materials Systems That We Can Grow In Our Thin Film Lab:


  • Metals and intermetallics
  • Oxides
  • Nitrides
  • Oxynitrides
  • Chalcogenides (At the moment only Tellurides)
  • Layer-by-layer growth of any of these materials and their interfacing<(/punkt>
  • Free-standing thin films by using a sacrificial layer

If you are interested in collaboration or wish to know more, please get in contact with Jasnamol Palakkal (jpalakkal@uni-goettingen.de) directly.

OPEN POSITIONS
Prospective Ph.D. and postdoc candidates:

  • Please read How to become a Ph.D. student? (Link Ph.D. student)
  • We promptly advertise open positions at the University and various common job portals. Stay tuned.
  • If you are interested in applying for a specific fellowship/funding program, please write to us directly with a brief note on ‘Why do you like to join us?’. We are happy to host excellent candidates. Please attach your short CV with a list of international publications. We write back if found suitable.
  • Various funding options are listed here (Link funding options)
  • Various research options in Germany can be found here (Link research options)
  • Options for research stays, including short-term, are available with programs like DAAD (LINK).


Master and Bachelor students:
We are using state-of-the-art, advanced thin film fabrication techniques that are also being used in many semiconductor industries. If you like to gain hands-on experience in such techniques, please read the following.

  • Many projects are available for Bachelor’s and Master’s theses. Example for internal students (Link later)
  • After completing your thesis, you can continue with us for Internships.
  • Student Assistant: We require student assistants (HiWi) every month on various short research/non-research assignments. An example can be found here (Link Student Assistant). Only UGOE students apply.


SPECIAL REGULAR COURSES ON THIN-FILMS

  • We are offering a new course, ‘Thin Films - Science and Industrial Demand’, every winter semester.
  • Modul B.Phy.5702: Dünne Schichten (English: Thin Films), 3 C, 2 SWS
  • Recommended semester: Bachelor: 6 and Master: 1 - 4
  • Language of the course: English
  • We offer ‘Advanced Lab Course’ ("Master-Forschungspraktikum") on thin film fabrication and characterization (Link Lab Course)