| CZECH NANO TEAM | Physics of Nanostructures and Nanotechnologies

Research of optical properties of materials, predominantly in the field of magneto-optics, magnetism and spectral ellipsometry, with emphasis on nanostructures and devices:

• Description of electromagnetic wave interaction with nanogratings

• Characterization of thin films by Attenuated Total Reflection (ATR)

• Development of magnetic sensors for non-destructive magnetic diagnostics and testing.

• The supervisor of 10 successful diploma theses and 3 Ph.D. theses

Publications:

Author or co-author of more than 200 scientific publications (more than 80 were published in international journals) to which more than 85 references appeared in the SCI. Amongst these there are joint papers with the Research Institute of Electronics, Shizuoka University in Hamamatsu, Fukuoka Institute of Technology, INSA Toulouse, Warsaw University of Technology, Slovakia Academy of Sciences, LPICM, Ecole Polytechnique Paris, TU Delft. 8 invited papers. The best innovation of 1997 year (magnetic nondestructive REMA defectoscope) - awarded by the Innovation Society of the Czech Republic (1997).

Selected study stays abroad:

• In 1980 - 3 month's study stay at Moscow State University (Prof. G. S. Krinchik)

• In 2001 - 3 month's as a visiting professor at Kyushu University , Fukuoka (Prof. K. Yasumoto)

• In 2002 - 10 month's as a visiting professor at Research Institute of Electronics, Shizuoka University, Hamamatsu (Prof. T. Yamaguchi)

• In 2005-2006 - 4 1/2 month's as a visiting professor at Research Institute of Electronics, Shizuoka University, Hamamatsu (Prof. T. Yamaguchi)

Selected projects:

• KONTAKT ME 507 - International collaboration grant (2002-2004) "Theoretical and experimental research of anisotropic grating structures"

• KONTAKT ME 508 - International collaboration grant (2002-2004) "Optical and magneto-optical ellipsometry and scatterometry of magnetic dots and nanostructures"

• Barrande 017 - International collaboration grant (2003-2004) "Preparation and magneto-optical study of thin films and periodical structures for data recording and sensors"

• Marie Curie Host Fellowships for Transfer of Knowledge (2004 -2007) NANOMAG-LAB

Selected publications from last 5 years:

• K. Postava, J. Pištora, M. Kojima, K. Kikuchi, K. Endo, T. Yamaguchi: Thickness monitoring of optical filters for DWDM applications, Opt. Express 11, 610-616 (2003)

• J. Pištora, J. Vlček, J. Mistrík, M. Horie, V. Smatko, E. Kováčová, K. Postava, M. Aoyama, T. Yamaguchi: Spectral ellipsometry of binary gratings, Optica Applicata 33, 251-262 (2003)

• J. Pištora, T. Yamaguchi, M. Foldyna, J. Mistrík, K. Postava, M. Aoyama: Magnetic sensor with prism coupler, Sensors&Actuators A 110, 88-93 (2004)

• R. Antoš, J. Pištora, I. Ohlídal, K. Postava, J. Mistrík, T. Yamaguchi, S. Višňovský, and M. Horie: Specular spectroscopic ellipsometry for the critical dimension monitoring of gratings fabricated on a thick transparent plate, J. Appl. Phys. 97, 053107 (2005)

• K. Watanabe, J. Pištora, M. Foldyna, K. Postava, J. Vlček: Numerical study on the spectroscopic ellipsometry of lamellar gratings made of lossless dielectric materials" J. Opt. Soc. Am. 22, 745-751 (2005)

Group members:

Jaromír Pištora, Karla Barčová, Dalibor Ciprian, Martin Foldyna, Petr Hlubina, Michal Lesňák, Jiří Luňáček, Josef Poláček, Kamil Postava, František Staněk, Jana Trojková, Jaroslav Vlček and Ondřej Životský

Main Research Subjects:

• The first subject is the study of metallic and oxide materials by means of (1) spectroscopic MO ellipsometry, (2) MO vector magnetometry, (3) classical spectroscopic ellipsometry, and (4) optical near field surface analysis. The spectroscopic ellipsometry techniques cover the photon energy range between 0.7 and 5.7 eV. Particular attention is devoted to the phenomena related to the symmetry reduction at surfaces.

• The second subject is the modeling. This includes the analysis of electromagnetic wave response in anisotropic multilayers (at arbitrary magnetization and angle of incidence) either planar or two dimensionally patterned (2D diffraction gratings) and symmetry properties of the permittivity tensors in crystals up to second order in magnetization.

Selected Specific Equipment:

• Computer controlled Jobin-Yvon set-up for high sensitivity reflection spectral ellipsometry in a photon energy range from 0.7 to 5.7 eV

• Gaertner ellipsometer system for the scatterometry on patterned structures.

• Original set-up for magneto-optic vector magnetometry

• Computer controlled CCD detection system

• Computer controlled current sources for electromagnets

• Original magnetic field generators for magneto-ellipsometry

• ATR experimental set-up for dark mode spectroscopy measurements

• PCs for experiment control, data acquisition and mathematical modeling

Additional recent selected publications by group members:

• K. Postava, D. Hrabovský, J. Pištora, A.R. Fert, Š. Višňovský, and T. Yamaguchi: Anisotropy of quadratic magneto-optic effects in reflection, J. Appl. Phys. 91 7293-7295 (2002)

• P. Hlubina: Time-domain intermodal interference including higher-order dispersion effects, J. Mod. Opt. 50, 791-799 (2003)

• J. Vlček, J. Pištora, D. Ciprian, T. Yamaguchi, I. Vávra: Magnetooptical gratings with circu-lar dots. Optica Applicata XXXIII, 263-271 (2003)

• P. Hlubina, T. Martynkien, and W. Urbanczyk: Dispersion of group and phase modal birefringence in elliptical-core fiber measured by white-light spectral interferometry, Optics Express 11, 2793-2798 (2003)

• K. Postava, O. Životský, J. Pištora,.T. Yamaguchi: Magneto-optical ellipsometry of systems containing thick layers. Thin Solid Films 455-456, 615-618 (2004)

• M. Lesňák, J. Pištora: Magnetic Minidefectoscope for Nondestructive Inspection of Ferromagnetic Bodies. J. Elect. Eng. (special issue) 55, 70-72 (2004)

• O. Životský, K. Postava, L. Kraus, M. Malátek, D. Janičkovič, D. Ciprian, J. Luňáček, J. Pištora: Surface crystallized Co66Fe4B15Si15 amorphous ribbons studied using magneto-optical magnetometry. J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 290-291, 625-628 (2005)

• K. Postava, M. Vanwolleghem, D. Van Thourhout, R. Baets, Š. Višňovský, P. Beauvillain, J. Pištora: Modeling of a novel InP-based monolithically integrated magneto-optical waveguide isolator. J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 22, 261-273 (2005)

• M. Foldyna, K. Postava, D. Ciprian, J. Pištora: Modeling of magneto-optical properties of periodic nanostructures. J. Mag. Mag. Mat. 290-291, 120-123 (2005)