Atomic Interactions Lab

In our group, we are trying to understand how matter receives her properties from the interactions among individual atoms. Since the number of atoms in common matter is overwhelmingly huge, we build artificial quantum matter from scratch, one atom at a time or investigate the electronic structure of two dimensional quantum materials grown by our collaborators. When tuning these materials by atom manipulation, the application of electromagnetic fields, and strain, we can change a material's behavior and learn how certain new properties emerge in order to better steer the emergence of interesting quantum behavior. 

We use advanced scanning probe microscopy (SPM) techniques to study the properties of quantum materials ranging from 2D systems to artificially designed arrays built from interacting atoms. We utilize our SPM to characterize quantum matter via tunneling spectroscopy, time-resolved pump-probe methods, SPM based electron spin resonance, electron-luminescence, and quasiparticle interference imaging. We also develop novel measurement techniques based on compressive sensing and nonlinear spectroscopy to fundamentally speed-up QPI measurements.

Are you a postdoc (or almost there) and thinking about your next steps with a scanning tunneling microscope in Switzerland? We are hosting postdoctoral researchers via the SNSF Swiss Postdoctoral Fellowship program.  Think what you would like to accomplish, check your eligibility andcontact us

We are hiring PhD students! (Open PhD Position (PDF, 243 KB))

Driven students thinking about a PhD in condensed matter research are invited to submit their application, check the instructions here (PDF, 243 KB). 

We are also always looking for motivated Bachelor and Master students who are eager to learn about single atom magnets or want to use and develop advanced SPM techniques to interrogate artificial quantum matter for its quirky properties. 

Danyang Liu (PhD), Carolina Marques (Postdoc), Johannes Schwenk (visiting postdoc), Berk Zengin (PhD), Aleš Cahlík (Postdoc), Cinja Müller (MSc), Fabian Natterer (PI)

 

 

Group Picture from October 2021

Danyang Liu (PhD), Fabian Natterer (PI), Berk Zengin (PhD), Ales Cahlik (Postdoc), Jens Oppliger (MSc)

 

Group Picture from October 2020

Berk Zengin (PhD), Kevin Hauser (visiting PhD), Danyang Liu (PhD), Fabian Natterer (PI), Nicolas Bachellier (Postdoc), Lorena Niggli (MS Student), Jens Oppliger (MS Student), Pascal Rothebuehler (BS Student)

 

Group Picture from October 2019

Danyang Liu, Jens Oppliger, Fabian Natterer, Nicolas Bachellier, Lorena Niggli

 

Group Picture from July 2019Fabian Natterer, Lorena Niggli, Alana Gudinas, Jens Oppliger