Hermann Dürr
Professor at Department of Physics and Astronomy; FREIA
- Mobile phone:
- +46 70 425 01 76
- E-mail:
- hermann.durr@physics.uu.se
- Visiting address:
- Ångströmlaboratoriet, Lägerhyddsvägen 1
- Postal address:
- Box 516
751 20 Uppsala
Download contact information for Hermann Dürr at Department of Physics and Astronomy; FREIA
Research
My research encompasses the use of ultrashort (10^-15sec) nonlinear laser, x-ray and electron spectroscopies to probe various aspects of condensed matter systems. Key questions being addressed are the speed limits, as determined by the laws of physics, for the switching of magnetic and electronic states relevant for instance in information technology materials. Of particular interest is to observe, understand and ultimately control the emergence of novel non-equilibrium and possibly metastable states that have no equivalent in thermal equilibrium but are instrumental for determining the material’s function. The prime example is the observation of a transient ferromagnetic state occurring during all-optical magnetic switching of ferrimagnets. However, such metastable states may also be revealed during insulator-metal transitions in strongly correlated electron materials and are relevant for ultrafast charge separation in photovoltaics. The use of femtosecond soft x-ray pulses from free electron laser sources and EUV pulses from high-harmonic laser sources offers the advantage to simultaneously access ultra-small nanoscale dimensions and ultra-short timescales. Very recently I became interested in and am discovering the joys and pitfalls of using relativistic electron pulses for structural dynamics in a wide range of materials. I closely collaborate with external research groups and industry to gain access to materials relevant to information technology and other applications.
A list of my publications is available at
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=0Owu9CMAAAAJ&hl=en

Publications
Recent publications
X-ray magnetic circular dichroism
Part of NATURE REVIEWS METHODS PRIMERS, 2025
Femtosecond charge and spin dynamics in a Co50Pt50 alloy
Part of Structural Dynamics, 2025
- DOI for Femtosecond charge and spin dynamics in a Co50Pt50 alloy
- Download full text (pdf) of Femtosecond charge and spin dynamics in a Co50Pt50 alloy
Quantum materials offer modulator hope
Part of Nature Photonics, p. 404-405, 2024
Element-specific ultrafast lattice dynamics in FePt nanoparticles
Part of Structural Dynamics, 2024
- DOI for Element-specific ultrafast lattice dynamics in FePt nanoparticles
- Download full text (pdf) of Element-specific ultrafast lattice dynamics in FePt nanoparticles
Part of Science Advances, 2024
- DOI for Real-time observation of non-equilibrium phonon-electron energy and angular momentum flow in laser-heated nickel
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All publications
Articles in journal
Femtosecond charge and spin dynamics in a Co50Pt50 alloy
Part of Structural Dynamics, 2025
- DOI for Femtosecond charge and spin dynamics in a Co50Pt50 alloy
- Download full text (pdf) of Femtosecond charge and spin dynamics in a Co50Pt50 alloy
Quantum materials offer modulator hope
Part of Nature Photonics, p. 404-405, 2024
Element-specific ultrafast lattice dynamics in FePt nanoparticles
Part of Structural Dynamics, 2024
- DOI for Element-specific ultrafast lattice dynamics in FePt nanoparticles
- Download full text (pdf) of Element-specific ultrafast lattice dynamics in FePt nanoparticles
Part of Science Advances, 2024
- DOI for Real-time observation of non-equilibrium phonon-electron energy and angular momentum flow in laser-heated nickel
- Download full text (pdf) of Real-time observation of non-equilibrium phonon-electron energy and angular momentum flow in laser-heated nickel
Megahertz-rate ultrafast X-ray scattering and holographic imaging at the European XFEL
Part of Journal of Synchrotron Radiation, p. 1454-1464, 2022
- DOI for Megahertz-rate ultrafast X-ray scattering and holographic imaging at the European XFEL
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Ultrafast manipulation of the NiO antiferromagnetic order via sub-gap optical excitation
Part of Faraday discussions, p. 300-316, 2022
- DOI for Ultrafast manipulation of the NiO antiferromagnetic order via sub-gap optical excitation
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Nonequilibrium sub-10 nm spin-wave soliton formation in FePt nanoparticles
Part of Science Advances, 2022
- DOI for Nonequilibrium sub-10 nm spin-wave soliton formation in FePt nanoparticles
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State-resolved ultrafast charge and spin dynamics in [Co/Pd] multilayers
Part of Applied Physics Letters, 2022
- DOI for State-resolved ultrafast charge and spin dynamics in [Co/Pd] multilayers
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Stimulated resonant inelastic X-ray scattering in a solid
Part of Communications Physics, 2022
- DOI for Stimulated resonant inelastic X-ray scattering in a solid
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Ultrafast modification of the electronic structure of a correlated insulator
Part of Physical Review Research, 2022
- DOI for Ultrafast modification of the electronic structure of a correlated insulator
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Symmetry-dependent ultrafast manipulation of nanoscale magnetic domains
Part of Physical Review B, 2022
Part of Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials, 2022
- DOI for A study on the relationship of magnetic moments orientation in L10FePt network nanostructured film by electron energy-loss magnetic chiral dichroism using semi-core excitation spectra
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Ultrafast perturbation of magnetic domains by optical pumping in a ferromagnetic multilayer
Part of Physical Review B, 2022
Part of Review of Scientific Instruments, 2021
Element-Specific Magnetization Dynamics in Co-Pt Alloys Induced by Strong Optical Excitation
Part of The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, p. 11714-11721, 2021
- DOI for Element-Specific Magnetization Dynamics in Co-Pt Alloys Induced by Strong Optical Excitation
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Part of MRS bulletin, p. 731-737, 2021
- DOI for Revealing momentum-dependent electron-phonon and phonon-phonon coupling in complex materials with ultrafast electron diffuse scattering
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Parallel Broadband Femtosecond Reflection Spectroscopy at a Soft X-Ray Free-Electron Laser
Part of Applied Sciences, 2020
- DOI for Parallel Broadband Femtosecond Reflection Spectroscopy at a Soft X-Ray Free-Electron Laser
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Part of Physical Review B, 2020
- DOI for Tracking the ultrafast nonequilibrium energy flow between electronic and lattice degrees of freedom in crystalline nickel
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Part of Advanced Functional Materials, 2020
- DOI for Tailoring Vanadium Dioxide Film Orientation Using Nanosheets: a Combined Microscopy, Diffraction, Transport, and Soft X-Ray in Transmission Study
- Download full text (pdf) of Tailoring Vanadium Dioxide Film Orientation Using Nanosheets: a Combined Microscopy, Diffraction, Transport, and Soft X-Ray in Transmission Study
Part of Nature Communications, 2019
- DOI for Spin-current-mediated rapid magnon localisation and coalescence after ultrafast optical pumping of ferrimagnetic alloys
- Download full text (pdf) of Spin-current-mediated rapid magnon localisation and coalescence after ultrafast optical pumping of ferrimagnetic alloys
Part of Nature Communications, 2019
- DOI for Femtosecond X-ray induced changes of the electronic and magnetic response of solids from electron redistribution
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Nonlinear Magnetization Dynamics Driven by Strong Terahertz Fields
Part of Physical Review Letters, 2019
Beyond a phenomenological description of magnetostriction
Part of Nature Communications, 2018
- DOI for Beyond a phenomenological description of magnetostriction
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Ultrafast Self-Induced X-Ray Transparency and Loss of Magnetic Diffraction
Part of Physical Review Letters, 2018
Ultrafast terahertz field control of electronic and structural interactions in vanadium dioxide
Part of Physical Review B, 2018
Articles, review/survey
X-ray magnetic circular dichroism
Part of NATURE REVIEWS METHODS PRIMERS, 2025