With funding of around €2 million, the new research group will investigate high-harmonic generation in organic molecular crystals and conduct its experimental work in a laboratory of the Department Life, Light & Matter (LL&M).
Organic molecular crystals hold great potential for future applications, including OLEDs, solar cells and sensors. To gain a deeper understanding of their unique properties, the team will investigate ultrafast physical processes on femtosecond and picosecond timescales. A particular focus will be on high-harmonic generation resulting from the interaction of intense laser fields with molecular crystals – a field of research that has so far remained largely unexplored for this class of materials.
The funding is structured in two three-year funding periods and includes, in addition to Dr. Fennel’s position, three doctoral researcher positions, one postdoctoral position and funding for research expenses. The Emmy Noether Programme enables outstanding early-career researchers to establish their own independent research group, thereby providing an important pathway towards qualification for a university professorship. According to the DFG, the programme has an overall funding rate of only around 20 percent across all disciplines.
Dr. Franziska Fennel previously worked as a postdoctoral researcher in Prof. Dr. Stefan Lochbrunner’s “Dynamics of Molecular Systems” research group at the Institute of Physics. For the new research group, Prof. Lochbrunner is providing a fully equipped laser laboratory in the LL&M Research Building.
“I am extremely pleased that my fantastic team will continue to grow and that we can investigate these exciting questions concerning strong-field effects in organic molecular crystals. The research environment provided by CRC 1477 LiMatI, IRTG 2676 ‘Imaging Quantum Systems’, the Department Life, Light & Matter, ELMI-MV and the newly established HEDI offers excellent opportunities for collaboration with other researchers,” says Dr. Fennel.
Prof. Dr. Stefan Lochbrunner congratulates her on the successful application: “Dr. Fennel’s successful proposal is not only an important milestone for her personally, but also strengthens the entire institute and our collaborative research projects. I am very much looking forward to the research results to come.”
Kontakt:
Dr. Franziska Fennel
Universität Rostock, Institut für Physik
Tel.: +49 381 498 6966
E-Mail: franziska.fenneluni-rostockde