Axel Enders
Assistant Professor
Department of Physics and Astronomy
201A Ferguson Hall
Phone: (402) 472-7055
Email: axel@unl.edu
Axel Enders's Physics Web Page
Current Research
My experimental work is dedicated to the exploration of surface-supported self-assembled nanostructures. I expend considerable efforts to improve the control over the self-assembled growth beyond the state-of-the-art. Advanced materials, including metal structures and molecular architectonic on metal surfaces, are engineered, almost atom-by-atom, molecule-by-molecule, to achieve superior properties for application in magnetic data storage or gas storage. I am exploring new concepts for magnetic data storage, which go beyond current thin film technologies. To this end, I am studying the magnetic anisotropy energy (MAE) at the sub-nanometer scale. This will contribute to an improved atomic-scale understanding of the MAE, which can greatly facilitate the engineering of advanced magnetic materials for extremely high-density magnetic recording. The work will also demonstrate self-assembled patterned media based on magnetic nanoclusters, which – if applied in magnetic recording – would allow for unprecedented bit densities beyond several Terabit per square inch. Exploring the limit of magnetic storage density at room temperature is a key objective here. |
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This scanning tunneling microscopy image shows small self-assembled Cobalt clusters. The lateral ordering is achieved by growth on a periodically corrugated boron nitride template surface. The average cluster diameter is 3 nanometer.
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In collaboration with my partners, I am also developing highly organized surface-supported metal-molecule frameworks systems for gas storage, which are superior to molecular crystals. The self-assembly of organic molecule ligands to nano-architectures is a very attractive strategy, both for its efficiency as well as for the high structural quality that can be achieved. The results will also be stimulating for related efforts in supramolecular engineering on solid surfaces which may lead to devices for molecular electronics, sensors, catalysts, magnetic data storage, bioengineering techniques, actuators on surfaces, photoswitchable systems and many more.
Recent Key Publications
A. Enders, P. Gambardella, and K. Kern, “Magnetism of nanostructures” in: The Handbook of Magnetism and Advanced Magnetic Materials, Vol. 1, Editors in chief: Prof. H. Kronmüller, Dr. S. Parkin, pp. 577 - 598, Springer, 2006.
J. Honolka, K. Kuhnke, L. Vitali, A. Enders, S. Gardonio, C. Carbone, S. R. Krishnakumar, K. Kern, P. Bencok, S. Stepanow, and P. Gambardella, “Absence of local magnetic moments in Ru and Rh impurities and clusters on Ag(100) and Pt(997)”, Phys. Rev. B 76, 144412 (2007).
J. Zhang, D. Repetto, V. Sessi, J. Honolka, A. Enders, and K. Kern, “Magnetism of Fe clusters formed by buffer-layer assisted growth on Pt(997)”, European Physical J. D 45, 515-520 (2007).
D. Repetto, T.Y. Lee, S. Rusponi, J. Honolka, K. Kuhnke, V. Sessi, U. Starke, H. Brune, P. Gambardella, C. Carbone, A. Enders, and K. Kern, “Structure and magnetism of atomically thin Fe layers on flat and vicinal Pt surfaces”, Phys. Rev. B 74, 054408 (2006).
D. Repetto, J. Honolka, S. Rusponi, H. Brune, A. Enders, and K. Kern, “Magnetism of Fe clusters and islands on Pt surfaces”, Appl. Phys. A 82, 109-112 (2006).
A. Enders, D. Peterka, D. Repetto, N. Lin, A. Dmitriev, and K. Kern, “Temperature dependence of the surface anisotropy of Fe ultrathin films on Cu(001)”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 90 (21) 217203 (2003).
