Collaborations & Open Topics

The Stuttgart Center for Electron Microscopy (StEM) serves as a pivotal scientific facility within the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research. StEM's primary mission centers on equipping researchers with cutting-edge, ultrahigh-resolu­tion electron microscopy (EM) instrumentation. This empowers them to tackle critical challenges in materials development and characterization at unparalleled spatial and energy resolutions. The center fosters a collaborative environment, evidenced by the policy that assigns all PhD and post­doctoral researchers to an FKF department. This strategic integration ensures access to pre-characterized samples, facilitating a more compre­hensive understanding of material proper­ties and culminating in high-impact publications.

StEM's diverse team ranges from world leaders to new promising researchers in microscopy, spectroscopy and materials research. Notably, this team boasts a synergistic blend of experi­men­ta­lists and theorists, physicists and chemists, each with expertise in specific material classes. Their proficiency extends to advanced EM techniques, quantitative image analysis, atomic-scale spectroscopy, 4D-STEM, electron ptycho­graphy, electron holo­graphy, electron tomography, and in-situ TEM.

MPI-FKF researchers have used StEM’s infrastructure to understand the structure and chemistry of next generation energy materials, to probe the structure of materials exhibiting quantum phenomena, and to comprehend novel phenomena in ultrathin oxide hetero-structures, where interfaces play a dominant role. This collaborative research with individual departments and research groups led to the publication of a vast number of manuscripts in highly reputable journals. These publications include top-tier titles like Nature Materials, Nature Nanotechnology, and Advanced Materials, demonstrating the impactful nature of StEM's research endeavors. A complete list can be found at
https://www.fkf.mpg.de/8153884.