Faculty & Research

personnel profile

Joachim Stohr

 
Title:Professor at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory
Department(s):Dean of Research, Materials Science and Engineering by courtesy
Affiliation(s):Director, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory
Location:Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory SLAC Mail Stop 69
Mail Code:SLAC MAIL STOP 69
Phone:650.926.2570       
Fax:650.926.2100
E-mail: stohr@slac.stanford.edu
stohr @stanford.edu
URL: http://www-ssrl.slac.stanford.edu/stohr
http://www-ssrl.slac.stanford.edu/stohrgroup/

Research Statement

Stohr's early scientific research focused on the development of the surface EXAFS and NEXAFS techniques for the determination of the geometric arrangement of atoms, molecules and thin organic films on surfaces. I have also been working on the development of x-ray emission spectroscopy for the atom-specific investigation of the surface chemical bond. My surface science interests then shifted to the study of orientation and relaxation phenomena at polymer surfaces, in particular, the alignment of liquid crystals on such surfaces. Today the major part of my research is concerned with magnetic materials and phenomena, in particular the study of magnetic thin films, interfaces and nanostructures. The studies are carried out with polarized synchrotron radiation which offers unique capabilities. Among them are the imaging of magnetic nanostructures with elemental, chemical and magnetic specificity, both by direct x-ray microscopy and holographic techniques. A particular exciting area are the direct observation of ultrafast (less than 1 nanosecond) magnetic processes by use of ultra-short x-ray pulses. In the near future (around 2008) the advent of x-ray lasers at Stanford will allow the study of single shot imaging of magnetic processes on the femtosecond timescale. Part of my present research is in preparation for this remarable new x-ray source called the Linac Coherent Light Source or LCLS, which is presently being built at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC). It will be the first x-ray laser in the world.

Degree Discipline Year School
PhD 1974 Technical University Munich, Germany

Academic Honors & Awards

Fulbright Scholarship 1969-70 Postdoctoral Scholarship from Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft 1975-76 Fellow of the American Physical Society Adjoint Professor in Physics at Uppsala University, Sweden (1993-2000) IBM Outstanding Technical Achievement Award 1997