Michael Weinert is a condensed matter theorist interested in the
electronic, magnetic, and structural properties of complex materials on
the atomic level. Much of his research is closely related to experimental work,
and over the years he has had close interactions with a number of
experimentalists.
The general approach used in his research is "first-principles" electronic
structure calculationsi to elucidate the underlying physics,
An important
feature of these "first-principles" methods is that they are predictive,
and thus can be applied to new materials. Having microscopic
atomic-scale information such as the electronic wave functions and
single-particle energies allows one to probe the system in ways - and at
a level - often not possible experimentally. The results of these
calculations also can be used to derive parameters for use in other
models. The increasing complexity of problems in nanoscience and surface
science, often requires new computational approaches in order to be able
to address the scientific issues.
Some of research topics of current interest include the effects of external
electric fields on the electronic and magnetic properties of surfaces,
interfaces, and nanostructures; phase stability of alloys and the
role of defects; the electronic structure of oxides and related systems;
the interpretation of various electron spectroscopies (e.g., STM,
APECS, photoemission); and the development of new computational
approaches and high performance (parallel) computing.
