[...] Engaging in international dialogue within the field, even if the universities are physically far apart, is something postdoctoral researcher Patryk Kusch views as a major advantage of the Research Alumni Program. Kusch, a nanophysicist, spent four weeks last summer at the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, in the Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte. His activities there included working with Ado Jorio, a professor of physics, whom he calls “a luminary in Raman spectroscopy.” He was also interested in the advanced tip-enhanced Raman spectroscope there.

This optical apparatus is used to break down light into the spectrum and then study how it is scattered on molecules or solids. This allows researchers to glean information on material properties, along with high-resolution image materials – an important analytical method for the Berlin working group headed by Stephanie Reich, which is studying the physical properties of systems just nanometers in size. His time in Brazil was “an incredible gain in terms of knowledge” for his team, Kusch says. “Jorio is one of the leading scientists working with this measurement method, and the tip-enhanced Raman spectroscope there was one of the first in the world.” The Institute of Physics at Freie Universität also has this kind of measuring device; a direct comparison with the Brazilian model allowed Kusch to find out which functions could still be added in Berlin. Samples are also illuminated from different sides in the two units, so the comparison values will benefit both research groups.

The link between the two research institutes was created several years ago by physics professors Reich and Jorio. There is now a “lively exchange of knowledge, including among us junior scientists and researchers,” Kusch explains. “Our cooperation will probably grow even closer in the future,” he says with enthusiasm. A joint publication with Jorio on this measuring method is in development, and the physics professor plans to travel back to Freie Universität for research purposes next summer. And thanks to the Research Alumni Program, it may even be possible for a junior researcher from the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais to come to Berlin for several weeks.

Please find the complete article by Jennifer Gaschler here.

Further Information
The Research Alumni Program of Freie Universität is once again providing support for research stays lasting two to six weeks.
The program is open to research alumni of Freie Universität (incoming), junior scholars and scientists from the research alumni’s home institutions (incoming) and junior scholars and scientists of Freie Universität (outgoing).
More information on the program can be found here.
Call for applications here.