Our main research interest can be characterized by the headings
The dynamics of electron-atom and electron-molecule collisions has focused much interest in the past decades because of its relevance in gas discharges and plasmas, including gas lasers, or astrophysical problems of practical interest. A variety of investigations have been performed to study such processes in some detail. The spin is involved in such collisions by explicit spin-dependent interactions such as the spin-orbit interaction of the continuum electron (Mott scattering) but also by exchange, which, in conjunction with the Pauli principle, gives rise to observable spin exchange effects.
More sophisticated experimental methods that we used include polarization-correlation measurements to obtain generalized STU parameters - which describe the change of the spin polarization vector during scattering - spin asymmetries with polarized targets (also superelastic scattering from laser excited target), optical parameters (integrated Stokes parameters and electron-photon coincidences or generalized Stokes parameters), triple differential (e, 2e) cross section asymmetries and electron dichroism parameters with chiral molecules. Sources of polarized electrons with a polarization of P > 0.7 and currents of up to several microamps have been developed with which such investigations can be performed successfully. Spin effects in elastic and inelastic collisions of electrons with atomic and molecular targets can be explored on the most fundamental level in such experiments.
Further studies include the spin selectivity in electron transmission through self-assembled chiral layers on substrates and multiphoton ionization of hydrogen atoms with phase controlled few-cycle laser pulses.
More details of our research can be found in a list of selected publications.