Portrait

«My work focusses on the investigation and manipulation of ultrafast processes at surfaces and in nanoscopic systems.  These processes occur in femtoseconds. A femtosecond is one millionth of a billionth second, that is 10-15 seconds. Atoms and molecules move around on these time scales. In order to observe these ultrafast dynamic processes, we need special instruments. By using ultrashort laser pulses  I try to understand how these processes occur exactly. This can help to analyze every step of chemical reactions and consequently to improve them. Time matters much at this. The quicker a reaction is, the more efficient it is. The slowest process in a reaction blocks its efficiency. If I can locate and improve the slowest process, I could improve the chemical reaction as a whole.»

Michael Bauer. Professor for Solid State Physics at Kiel University since 2006. Born in Erding, Germany. Studied physics at TU Munich, obtained his doctoral degree in 1997 at ETH Zurich. Postdoc at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbour/USA, and at the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics in Boulder, Colorado/USA. Scientific assistant at the University of Essen and TU Kasierslautern. Junior professor for physics at TU Kaiserslautern since 2002.