Methods & Equipment

Synthesis

• High-pressure (150 bar) TSFZ-single crystal growth
• Soft chemistry synthesis of self-organised nanostructures (Microwave-assisted and conventional hydrothermal synthesis)
• Tube and chamber furnaces with gas regulation system
• Planetary Ball Mill PM 100, ATM polishing device Saphir 520, 24 place microlitre centrifuge Hettich Mikro 22R, Glovebox GS, diamond saw, presses, etc.

Characterisation

• Powder XRD D8 Advance (collaboration with H.-P. Meyer)
• Powder XRD Rigaku SmartLab with a high-flux 9 kW rotating anode X-ray source coupled with a HyPix-3000 2D detector (@CAM, coll. with AG Zaumseil)
• Surface area measurements by the BET method (@CAM)
• Scanning Electron Microscopy SEM / EDX
• Polarisation Microscopy
• Laue Diffractometer

Magnetic Properties and Thermodynamics

• Thermal expansion and magnetostriction (1.7 - 300 K, 0 - 16 T, with rotator)
• 3-point bending method
• 18 T Magnet with VTI
• MPMS3 7T (AC/DC-χ, T = 0.4 - 800 K, iquantum 3He, VSM option, fiberoptical sample holder, sample rotation)
• PPMS (14 T, 1.9 – 400 K, dilution fridge down to 50 mK, VSM option, specific heat, electrical DC/AC transport, Hall effect, torque magnetometer, AC susceptibility 10 Hz – 10 kHz down to 50 mK,
• Micro-Hall magnetometry (currently not operated)
• X/Q-band Bruker Elexsys E500 EPR Spectrometer (collaboration with P. Comba)
• High-frequency Electron Spin Resonance
• Application of AC magnetic fields (Specific absorption rate for hyperthermia)
• mSR spectroscopy and neutron diffraction (as a user)

Electrochemical characterisation

• Coin cell; Swagelok cells
• Potentiometry (Cyclic voltammetry, GITT: Various Potentiostats HEKA PG 360 USB Potentiostat; 2 Bio-Logic VMP3; 24 channel Biologic BCS-805)
• Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy EIS
• Impedance Spectroscopy (270 - 500 K)
• In-operando XRD setup for the Rigaku diffractometer@CAM