DFG-Forschergruppe FOR1162

Electron Correlation-Induced Phenomena in
Surfaces and Interfaces with Tunable Interactions

The DFG Research Unit FOR1162 is a collaborative research effort for the investigation of electronic correlation effects and emergent phenomena in nanostructured surfaces and interfaces, starting November 1st 2009. Objects of interest are self-organized 2D and 1D metal adsorbate structures on semiconductor and metal surfaces, 4f-metal surface alloys, and 2D electron gases in transition metal oxide heterostructures. Central aim is a microscopic understanding of competing interactions in systems with reduced dimensionality and their effect on the macroscopic electronic and magnetic behavior. Controlled preparation of the chosen systems offers the tunability of relevant interaction parameters and, therefore, the opportunity for rigorous experimental tests of corresponding many-body models. Making use of recent methodical developments both in experiment and theory, the problem will be attacked by a wide range of spectroscopic methods in close cooperation with advanced quantum-mechanical many-body theory. Apart from a substantially improved microscopic understanding of the interplay of electron correlations and low dimensionality, the findings are expected to be useful for a controlled design of novel application-relevant functionalities in, e.g., thin film devices.