Methods
Electrochemical methods
Multiple potentiostats (Metrohm Autolab and BioLogic) and electrochemical cell setups are available for electrochemical measurements, also in combination with our Kerr microscope below. We use electrochemical methods regularly to prepare and characterize thin films of metals and alloys, or to determine electrolyte and interface resitance, capacitance and real surface area. In our research, we aim to understand of fundamental electrochemical processes on the electrode-electrolyte interface, which are important for fuel cells, electrolysis, and magneto-ionics.
The range of available techniques include, but is not limited to
- Cyclic voltammetry (CV)
- Chronoamperometry and Chronopotentiometry (CA and CP)
- Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS)
- Electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM)
Magneto-optical Kerr microscopy and magnetometry
Our standard technique for magnetic characterization as well as combined electrochemical and magnetic (magneto-ionic) measurements is our Kerr microscope (evico magnetics). This high-resolution optical microscope is equipped with sensitive magnetic contrast options, making it an ideal tool to study magnetic thin films.
Scanning electron microscopy
Our electron microscope (Jeol) has energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy and mapping options, which is our standard for obtaining elemental compositons of samples.
Electron spin resonance
We plan to install our electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy setup in our new lab in 2023.
