Annual Report 2019 - Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research

The Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research conducts materials research for future applications in, e.g., information technology. To this end, we make use of the various possibilities offered by our Ion Beam Center (IBC) for synthesis, modification, and analysis of thin films and nanostructures, as well as of the free-electron laser FELBE at HZDR for THz spectroscopy. The analyzed materials range from semiconductors and oxides to metals and magnetic materials. They are investigated with the goal to optimize their electronic, magnetic, optical as well as structural functionality. This research is embedded in the Helmholtz Association’s programme “From Matter to Materials and Life”. Seven publications from last year are highlighted in this Annual Report to illustrate the wide scientific spectrum of our institute.
After the scientific evaluation in the framework of the Helmholtz Programme-Oriented Funding (POF) in 2018 we had some time to concentrate on science again before end of the year a few of us again had to prepare for the strategic evaluation which took place in January 2020, which finally was also successful for the Institute.
In 2019, there have been a number of organizational changes. First, and most prominently, we were able to hire Prof. Dr. Anton Wallner as new head of our department Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) and Isotope Research. This appointment is jointly with the TU Dresden where Toni has recei¬ved a chair in the Institute of Nuclear and Particle Physics. Along with this employment, our scientific advisory board and board of trustees approved the acquisition of a dedicated 1 MV accele¬rator for AMS including a laser detachment system. With this move, we hope to widen the scope of the user facility Ion Beam Center to new user communities in the field of nuclear astrophysics, environmental and geosciences. Second, the department Ion Beam Center is now headed by Dr. Stefan Facsko, who took over the responsibility from Dr. Johannes von Borany who stepped down for partial retirement. Stefan has been working in the Ion Beam Center since 2003 in various functions and is one of our most established researchers. We wish him all the best for this responsible position. Third, after the successful evaluation of Dr. Denys Makarov we created a new department Intelligent Materials and Devices, which is now headed by Denys. For his outstanding work in the field of mag¬netic sensor technology he also received the HZDR Research Award 2019. In the same ceremony, Dr. Jacob König-Otto received the HZDR Doctoral Prize 2019 for his dissertation at our Institute. Fourth, in fall we struck a new path and created a young researcher group on “Immuno-oncology on a chip: nano-assisted screening for cancer therapy” across disciplines and Institutes headed by Dr. Larysa Baraban. Larysa heads a group in the Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research and collabo¬rates closely with our colleagues Dr. Artur Erbe on nanodevices and Dr. Denys Makarov on sensorics. We believe that this synergetic approach will pave the way to a fast and cost-efficient screening technology for personalized health care.
Again, in 2019, the level of newly received third-party funding was very good. In particular, we received the funding for two Helmholtz Innovation Laboratories (HIL); one on thermal treatment technology for defect engineering (UltraTherm) headed by Dr. Lars Rebohle and one on flexible sensors (FlexiSens) headed by Dr. Denys Makarov. The main emphasis of both HILs is to provide support of and technology transfer to small and medium enterprises in the respective technological areas. We are sure that in addition to our ion technology service provided via the HZDR Innovation GmbH both Innovation Labs will boost our technology transfer activities.
Several conferences and workshops were organized by scientists from our institute: the “Ion Beam Physics Workshop” as the annual meeting of the German Ion Beam Community was organized by Dr. Stefan Facsko and attracted around 50 participants to discuss the newest national developments and research in the field of ion beam physics. In addition, the “3rd European Focused Ion Beam Network Workshop” was organized by Dr. Hans-Jürgen Engelmann and co-workers; 135 participants from 17 countries found their way to HZDR to discuss current research topics and exchange experience in Focused-Ion-Beam (FIB) and Scanning-Electron-Microscopy (SEM) work.
Finally, we would like to cordially thank all partners, friends, and organizations who supported our progress in 2019. Special thanks are due to the Executive Board of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, the Minister of Science and Arts of the Free State of Saxony, and the Ministers of Education and Research, and of Economic Affairs and Energy of the Federal Government of Germany. Numerous partners from universities, industry and research institutes all around the world contributed essentially, and play a crucial role for the further development of the institute. Last but not least, the directors would like to thank again all members of our institute for their efforts and excellent contributions in 2019.