Head of StEM
Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research
Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, Germany
Prof. Dr. Peter A. van Aken leads the Stuttgart Center for Electron Microscopy (StEM), adding exceptional strength to the analytical capabilities of the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research. StEM possesses outstanding expertise in scanning and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), focused ion-beam applications, and methodology development. Prof. van Aken’s research focuses on the atomic-scale characterization of interfaces, functional complex oxide heterostructures, strained semiconductors, of optical properties of nanostructured thin films, and plasmonic-active nanostructures, nanoparticles, and nanomaterials, as well as of molecules on 2D materials. He uses and further develops advanced scanning TEM techniques, electron energy-loss spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, in-line electron holography, in-situ TEM methods, strain mapping, quantitative high-resolution TEM analysis, different quantitative electron diffraction techniques, image processing and simulation, and 4D-STEM, electron ptychography, and tomography. Prof. van Aken’s research mission is the advancement of the in-depth microscopic understanding of materials with respect to their functionalities and structure-property relationship.
The General Assembly of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Elektronenmikroskopie (DGE) has elected Prof. Dr. Peter A. van Aken as President for the period of 01.01.2022 to 31.12.2023. Prof. van Aken is on the World's Best List of the most cited scientists for the years 2018, 2019, and 2020 ("Highly Cited Researchers" from Clarivate Analytics). From January 2019 to June 2023, Prof. van Aken is the Coordinator and Principal Investigator of the European project ESTEEM3 (Enabling Science Through European Electron Microscopy), which is an integrating activity for electron microscopy, providing access to the leading European state-of-the-art electron microscopy research infrastructures.