In January 2026, a new Leibniz Junior Research Group headed by Dr. Stanislav Bodnar was launched at the Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden (IFW Dresden). The research group focuses on the optical control of spin states in hybrid altermagnetic heterostructures.
The project focuses on achieving optical control in hybrid heterostructures composed of two main components: a novel class of magnetic materials known as altermagnets, and optically active, energy-efficient hybrid semiconductors. The aim is to investigate fundamental interactions in these systems on ultrafast timescales ranging from femtoseconds to nanoseconds. Building on these studies, new concepts for reliable, low-energy, all-optical control of magnetic states are to be developed.
Dr. Stanislav Bodnar, who previously worked as an experimental physicist at Heidelberg University, particularly values the opportunity offered by this research project to employ and combine a broad range of modern experimental methods. These include advanced techniques for materials preparation and characterization, specialized cleanroom technologies, time-resolved optical measurement methods, and electromagnetic transport measurements. This broad methodological approach enables the investigation of fundamental scientific questions while simultaneously advancing the experimental techniques themselves. In this way, the project aims to drive the research direction forward in an exploratory manner.
Leibniz Junior Research Groups are a central funding instrument of the Leibniz Association to support outstanding early-career researchers across all scientific disciplines. They enable the early establishment of an independent research group and provide excellent framework conditions for the development of an autonomous scientific profile. Funding typically covers a period of five years and includes resources for personnel, consumables, and equipment.
The new Leibniz Junior Research Group at IFW Dresden is currently being established. The project includes two PhD positions and one technical position.
More about the Leibniz Junior Research Groups funding program
The program is aimed at postdoctoral researchers with an excellent track record who are keen to take on a professorship or similar academic role. As leaders of a Leibniz-Junior Research Group, they are given the opportunity to pursue their own research projects and establish themselves in their respective fields.
Read more: Leibniz Junior Research Groups
Contact
Dr. Stanislav Bodnar
Head of the Leibniz Junior Research Group: Optical Control in Altermagnetic Hybrid Nanostructures
s.bodnar[at]ifw-dresden.de
Press contact
Patricia Bäuchler
Science Communication
p.baeuchler[at]ifw-dresden.de
