Wieland Schöllkopf

Dr. Wieland Schöllkopf serves as Head of the FEL and Group Leader of the Atom and Molecule Optics group within the Molecular Physics Department at the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society in Berlin.

His research pioneers experimental atom optics through quantum reflection phenomena, where atom wave packets reflect coherently from attractive potential branches tens of nanometers above surfaces. Key achievements include observing high-resolution helium atom diffraction using micro-structured gratings (20 μm periodicity) with fully resolved 7th-order peaks, and achieving 1.8 μm focus widths via concave quartz mirrors. His group characterized the quantum-to-classical reflection transition and proposed Kirkpatrick-Baez mirror systems for two-dimensional atom focusing toward 100 nm-resolution helium microscopy.

The Atom and Molecule Optics Group develops non-destructive surface analysis techniques using inert helium beams, enabling nanoscale characterization of delicate materials. Their work bridges fundamental quantum scattering physics with practical applications in nanotechnology and surface science, particularly for imaging organic films and liquid interfaces where conventional probes cause damage.