Ing. Ladislav Straka, D.Sc. (Tech.)
- Condensed matter physics
- +420 266 052 992
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I focus on multiferroics, magnetic functional materials, and especially magnetic shape memory alloys. These display a unique interplay of magnetism with crystal structure and martensite microstructure and are an endless source of scientific excitement.
Mostly experimental research goes half and half in magnetism and materials science - magnetic properties and characterization are essential, while the crystal structure and martensite microstructure form the functionality. The topics thus span very broadly, starting from understanding magnetic properties, magnetoelastic characterizations, continuing via the understanding and manipulation of twinned microstructures and nanotwins, calculation of diffraction patterns, and ending in a development of a prototype application use of the investigated material.
I work at the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences.
Equipment
Optical observations of twinned structures are typically done using Optical microscopes Zeiss Imager Z1M with polarization and Nomarski contrast (DIC). AFM/MFM Bruker Dimension serves for studies of sample surface and magnetic domain structures. For diffraction studies we can use e.g., our new universal diffractometer Rigaku SmartLab with Cross Beam Optics, Anton Paar DCS500 temperature chamber, Cu and Mo radiation, and HyPix3000 2D detector. For magnetic and magnetoelastic characterizations, we use the new Microsense vibrating sample magnetometer with 3 T field, sensitivity 10 -7 emu, vector and rotating option, and temperature range from liquid nitrogen to 1273 K in Ar atmosphere. Through MGML laboratory, there is further access to equipment for magnetic and magnetoelastic properties analysis, extended magnetic transport and elastic properties experiments with a broad field (up to 18 T), temperature (0.1–1000 K) and pressure (up to 6 GPa) ranges. For electron microscopy, we use Advanced scanning electron microscopes (SEM) Tescan Fera with Ga- and Xe- focused ion beam (FIB), EDX for chemical analysis, and EBSD for studies of domain orientation and microstructure. Transmission electron microscope FEI (TEM) Tecnai F20 X-TWIN serve for studies of crystal structure and structure of twin and grain boundaries.
See also:
Materials Growth & Measurement Laboratory
Department of Material Analysis
Group of magnetic shape memory materials "MSM"
https://www.fzu.cz/en/research/divisions-and-departments/division-2/department-11/laboratory-1101
