Dresden 2026 – scientific programme

Parts | Days | Selection | Search | Updates | Downloads | Help

MA: Fachverband Magnetismus

MA 7: Poster Magnetism I

MA 7.80: Poster

Monday, March 9, 2026, 09:30–12:30, P2

Lensless magneto-optical imaging — •Volker Neu¹, Giancarlo Pedrini², Ivan Soldatov¹, Stephan Reichelt², and Rudolf Schäfer¹ — ¹IFW Dresden, Helmholtzstr. 20, 01069 Dresden — ²Institut für Technische Optik (ITO), Univ. Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 9, 70569 Stuttgart

Magneto-optical methods, which utilize the interaction of polarized light with the magnetization state of the sample in reflection (magneto-optical Kerr effect) or in transmission (Faraday effect) present the most prominent classical microscopy techniques to investigate magnetic microstructures down to a few hundred nanometers.

In a first proof-of-principle study [1] we verified the feasibility of lensless magnetic imaging in the optical regime and explored the various contrast mechanisms that can be applied in such an approach. We demonstrate that the reconstructed intensity is in full qualitative agreement with the intensity contrast expected from conventional lens-based Faraday microscopy. This holds for the usual application of linearly polarized light with an almost crossed analyzer, but also for the less common combination of linearly polarized light with fully crossed analyzer. The additional phase information, not accessible with conventional microscopy, offers direct access to domain information in the latter case. This initial verification of lensless magneto-optical imaging will enable the various established advantages of lensless microscopy to be utilized for the examination of magnetic materials in the future.

[1] V. Neu, G. Pedrini, I. Soldatov, S. Reichelt, R. Schäfer, "Lensless magneto-optical imaging", Scientific Reports 15, 28277 (2025).

Keywords: magnetic domains; lensless imaging; magnetic microscopy