The German Research Foundation (DFG) is funding a new Emmy Noether Research Group at the Institute of Physics at the University of Rostock, led by Dr. Franziska Fennel. The project aims to investigate high-harmonic generation in organic molecular crystals (OMCs) and establish it as a spectroscopic tool. Over a period of two three-year funding phases, the project will receive a total of €2 million, funding Dr. Fennel’s position, three doctoral positions, one postdoctoral position, as well as additional funding for research equipment and other expenses.
OMCs are a fascinating class of materials with great potential for the electronics of the future—for example, in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), solar cells, and sensors. In OMCs, individual molecules are arranged in a crystal lattice. This ordered structure gives rise to fascinating new properties that differ significantly from those of individual molecules. To understand the properties of molecular crystals, it is essential to gain a deep insight into the physical processes taking place on their natural timescales of femtoseconds and picoseconds.
While high-harmonic radiation—a form of coherent radiation generated through the interaction of intense laser fields with matter—is already well established in gases and inorganic solids, its generation in OMCs remains virtually unexplored. This is where the new research group comes in: for the first time, the team will investigate how high harmonics are generated in OMCs and how their spectroscopic signatures can be used to visualize ultrafast processes.
The Emmy Noether Programme of the German Research Foundation offers exceptionally qualified early-career researchers the opportunity to qualify for a university professorship by independently leading a junior research group over a period of six years. Emmy Noether grants are awarded through a multi-stage evaluation process and have a success rate of approximately 20%. Dr. Franziska Fennel is delighted with the positive evaluation and says: “The support from the university leadership and the entire Institute of Physics was extremely helpful and shows that the research conditions in Rostock are ideal.”
Until now, Dr. Franziska Fennel has been a postdoctoral researcher in the “Dynamics of Molecular Systems” research group headed by Prof. Dr. Stefan Lochbrunner at the Institute of Physics at the University of Rostock. With the newly funded Emmy Noether Research Group, she is now taking the next step in her academic career and establishing her own independent research group. Dr. Fennel is looking forward to the years ahead with enthusiasm: “I am extremely excited that my great team will continue to grow and that we will be able to investigate these fascinating questions surrounding strong-field effects in OMCs. The research environment provided by Collaborative Research Centre 1477 LiMatI, IRTG 2676 ‘Imaging Quantum Systems’, the Department of Life, Light & Matter (LL&M), ELMI-MV, and the newly established HEDI offers excellent opportunities for collaboration with other scientists.”
The experiments will be carried out in a laboratory of the LL&M Department. Prof. Lochbrunner is providing the junior research group with a fully equipped laser laboratory, where the strong-field experiments can be conducted under ideal conditions. Prof. Lochbrunner warmly congratulates Dr. Fennel: “Dr. Fennel’s successful proposal is not only an important milestone for her personally, but also strengthens the entire institute and our collaborative research projects. I am very much looking forward to the research findings that will emerge from this work.”
Contact:
Dr. Franziska Fennel
University of Rostock
Institute of Physics
Tel.: +49 381 498 6966
franziska.fenneluni-rostockde