Elettra Fellow to Prof. Ernst Bauer

Professor Ernst Bauer is a distinguished physicist and surface scientist who has given fundamental contributions to the understanding of epitaxial growth mechanisms and to the development of microscopy techniques. He derived in 1958 the classification of thin film growth mechanisms that provides to this day the theoretical thermodynamic framework used to understand epitaxy. In 1962 he invented Low Energy Electron Microscopy (LEEM), which came to fruition in 1985. More recently he extended the LEEM technique in two directions of capital importance by developing Spin-Polarized Low Energy Electron Microscopy (SPLEEM) and Spectroscopic Photo Emission and Low Energy Electron Microscopy (SPELEEM). Using such methods a comprehensive (structural, chemical, magnetic, and electronic) characterization of surfaces and thin films on the 10 nm scale became feasible. His interest in the development of synchrotron radiation microscopy techniques and his fifteen years of involvement with Elettra resulted in the development of the Nanospectroscopy beamline, which is today one of the premiere synchrotron radiation microscopy facilities worldwide. Over the years he has provided our staff with invaluable advice on scientific developments and strategies in areas as diverse as surface science, nanoscience and surface and thin film microscopy, greatly contributing to the success of our organisation.