ALBA Synchrotron

English.

Our goal is to develop combined approaches that enable the study of materials under real operating conditions and across different spatial and temporal lenghtscales

We specialize in advanced polarized soft X-ray and electron microscopy techniques to investigate functional materials, with a particular focus on spintronics and magnetism. Soft X-ray microscopy provides high-resolution imaging of magnetic textures —down to ~10 nm and even in 3D— while stroboscopic pump–probe schemes allow us to probe ultrafast spin dynamics.

To achieve a comprehensive understanding of both static and dynamic magnetic behavior, we correlate the magnetic and electronic contrast from X-rays with the crystallographic and chemical information accessible through TEM. This requires the development of operando-compatible environments and advanced data analysis tools, which are essential for true multi-modal and multi-scale studies.

The complementarity between X-ray and (S)TEM methods —combining chemical, structural, electronic, and magnetic specificity with unmatched spatial resolution— enables us to investigate larger fields of view, thicker samples, and faster dynamic processes, opening new pathways for the characterization of magnetic and functional materials.