A05 Nanoscopic probing of spatio-temporal relaxation in heterogeneous structures using ultrafast transmission electron microscopy (Ropers, Schäfer)

Whereas the study of the dynamics of elementary excitations in bulk solids is well established, much less information exists on ultrafast processes at and near interfaces, defects and structural inhomogeneities. In this project, we will investigate relaxation and transport processes in heterogeneous structures following ultrashort optical excitation. To this end, we will develop and implement nanoscopic probing capabilities in ultrafast transmission electron microscopy (UTEM). This will allow us to locally observe structural changes on a nanometer length scale and will contribute to resolving fundamental questions on spatio-temporal relaxation in various types of heterogeneous systems.