Self-assembled nanostructures on metal surfaces and graphene
Schmidt, Nico Daniel Robert
IMPORTANT NOTE: You are advised to consult the publisher's version (publisher's PDF) if you wish to cite from it. Please check the document version below.
Document Version
Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record
Publication date: 2019
Link to publication in University of Groningen/UMCG research database
Citation for published version (APA):
Schmidt, N. D. R. (2019). Self-assembled nanostructures on metal surfaces and graphene. University of Groningen.
Copyright
Other than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download or to forward/distribute the text or part of it without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license (like Creative Commons).
Take-down policy
If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim.
Downloaded from the University of Groningen/UMCG research database (Pure): http://www.rug.nl/research/portal. For technical reasons the number of authors shown on this cover page is limited to 10 maximum.
10 Acknowledgments
As this thesis would not have materialized without the tremendous help of many, I would like to express my appreciation for everyone who has contributed directly and indirectly in the following paragraphs. In case the reader finds his/her name unjustly absent from this chapter or is irritated by the brevity of my words, be assured this is an honest mistake on my side and does not reflect any lack of gratitude. I would like to thank:
Prof. Meike Stöhr for offering me the opportunity to do a PhD in her group. Every student poses a challenge to the supervisor at one point and I do not consider myself an exception. It takes courage as a supervisor to allow a student to actually grow, as output will be limited during the student’s inevitable period of struggle. I am stronger now compared to four years ago because you had this courage and recognized my need to realize and overcome my personal shortcomings. For this above all, I would like to thank you.
Prof. Petra Rudolf for being my co-supervisor. You have continuously provided me with advice that went beyond the realm of science. I especially want to thank you for the wonderful Christmas dinners that you and Valerio hosted for us every year. I hope one day Elly and I can mirror your qualities as hosts.
Prof. Bart Kooi, prof. Harold Zandvliet, and prof. Katharina Franke for taking the time to read and assess my thesis.
personally. While the willingness to reflect on oneself is inherent, one always needs another person to hold up the mirror. You have been doing just that throughout my PhD and, remarkably, at just the right moments. This is an invaluable gift, for which I can hardly repay you.
Brian Baker for being my paranymph and going through the toughest times of my – maybe also your – PhD with me. I undoubtedly have not been easy on you at times, yet you tenaciously prevailed. The beamtimes were not only more enjoyable with you but frankly, I would not have been able to stem them without you. Thank you for that and bringing your positivity into the group.
Li Jun for being such a great office mate, teaching me many things, and working through the nights of Basovizza with me. I think it is fair to say that we took some time to warm up to each other, but I value the friendship we built. Always keep in mind that quattro formaggi is four times the fun and do not forget me once you are famous.
Kathrin Müller for introducing me to the systems in Groningen, teaching me XPS, and always offering help and advice. I am glad I had the opportunity to work on a project together with you.
Henrieke Heideman for translating my summary and bringing your drive and positivity to the group. I really enjoyed the – unfortunately too few - instances of working in the lab with you.
Leonid Solianyk for sharing all four years of my PhD with me – inside and outside of the lab. You offered insight and advice on many occasions.
Van Bay Tran for all the times you lent me a helping hand or your ear. I hope both were not worn out too much. There is no one who can climb a tool cabinet with such grace as you did.
Florian Studener for bringing a little bit of Pott into our labs by being able properly swear when things went wrong. What might sound like vulgarities to the uninitiated provided me with the comforting feeling of home. Too bad we could not share more years together, it would have been fun.
Tuan Anh Pham for giving me insights into the group shortly after my arrival. Our overlap was too short, yet we still managed to grow a friendship.
Juan Carlos Moreno Lopez above all for bringing your good heart into the group when it was needed. You brought people together and always worked towards finding a compromise.
Stefano Gottardi for being a great office mate for the short overlap we had. Thank you for teaching me the CVD and doing much of the preliminary work for one of my chapters.
My students Michael Müller and Fika Fauzi for having the patience to endure me as daily supervisor. I am grateful that I was able to learn a lot about myself especially during the one year with Fika.
Ida Delac Marion, Wenbo Lu, Joris de la Rie, and Koen Houtsma for carrying on the torch. All of you bring great chemistry into the group and I wish you all the best for the upcoming years.
The guest Dario Giannotti and Sun Qiang as well the students in our group Jeroen Ubink, Sameer Rodrigues, Danny van Hien, and Ceri Richards for the good times mostly during lunch.
Our former secretary Yvonne Nagelhout and current secretary Hilda Riemens for keeping everything running and helping me out whenever it was necessary.
Van Lam Do for all the times we bumped chairs into each other because frankly out tables were too close. You have been a tremendous office mate and it was worth giving up the professional distance between coworkers to become friends. I am grateful for all the times we picked each other’s brains, gave each other advice, and most importantly for your friendship. When you left, the office truly became a bleaker place.
The current and former members of the ODL group Oreste de Luca, Sumit Kumar, Ali Syari'ati, Yan Feng, Tashfeen Zehra, Pascal Freyer, Régis Gengler, Martina d'Angelo, Georgia Potsi, Wu Jiquan, Wang Zi, Giovanna Feraco, Nicola Melfi, Yori Ong, Estela Moreton Alfonsin, Theodosis Giousis, and Yiannis Georgantas for being able make fond memories during lunch, outside of work, and at times even inside the lab. Peter van Abswoude deserves a special place on this list since he introduced me to the peculiarities of the Dutch society. It was great fun sharing the office with you, Peter.
The technicians Hijlke Kielman, Wigger Jonker, and Jos Noteboom for the speedy support they provided. I especially thank Hijlke for sharing his knowledge about materials with me and providing custom parts whenever needed. Wigger, you helped me not only by fixing broken
electronic units whenever they failed on me but also helped design the high-voltage power supply for the e-beam setup I was building. Two chapters of this thesis could only exist because of the support you provided. Jos, you were always willing to let me blow off some steam with you and enriched all our breaks with your slightly-too-strong coffee.
The beamline scientist Vitaliy Feyer, Giovanni Zamborlini, and Matteo Jugovac for their support and laughter that made the hard work at the Elettra synchrotron not only fruitful but actually enjoyable.
My former physics teacher Felix Schumacher for fostering my interest in physics and setting me on a way that culminates in this work. Ich hatte ja schon in der Mittelstufe das Glück von Ihnen unterrichtet zu werden, jedoch bin ich Ihnen am meisten dankbar dafür, dass sie sich damals von uns überreden haben lassen, den LK Physik zu unterrichten. Sie haben unsere Köpfe zum Rauchen gebracht aber waren immer darauf bedacht, dass wir den Spaß an der Physik nicht verlieren. Ohne die guten Erfahrungen in Ihrem Unterricht hätte ich wohl nie Physik studiert.
My old group at the University of Duisburg Essen especially Prof Möller, Manfred Lange, and Christian Bobisch who laid the foundation for my PhD by teaching me so much about scanning tunneling microscopy and scientific writing.
My long-term friends back in Germany who are still amazed that someone who cannot do mental math is still able to do a PhD.
My parents and my sister for everything they have done for me in 29 years. Es gibt keine Worte die meinen Dank und meine Liebe für euch
meine Obhut gegeben hat, fange ich erst an zu begreifen, wieviel Sorgen ich euch während meines Aufwachsens bereitet haben muss.
먼저, 제 아내의 가족분들께 이 자리를 빌어 제가 먼 나라에서 온 외국인임에도 불구하고 저를 두 팔 벌려 환영해주신 것, 그리고 제 가족들에게도 따뜻함과 친절함으로 대해주신 점 진심으로 감사드립니다. 아들 딸로서 저희가 더 많이 베풀고 도와야함에도 불구하고 박사 생활 기간동안 저희가 드린것보다 받은 것이 더 많은 것 같아 송구스럽습니다. 감사하고 사랑합니다.
My son Leon for stepping into our lives when we wished for you the most. You certainly managed to turn everything upside down, but I am grateful for the times you fill me with joy as well as the times you teach me humility. 나의 사랑하는 아내 엘리, 여보는 내가 당신 없인 이 어떤 것도 이룰 수 없었다는 것을 알고 있을거라 생각해요. 당신의 끝없는 희생 덕분에 우리가 함께 있을 수 있었어요. 나와 함께 하고자 독일에 와 독일어를 1 년동안 배우고, 그 후 외국인이 일 할 수 있는 기회가 거의 없는 이 네덜란드의 흐로닝언까지 나와 함께 여기에 와줬어요— 그럼에도 내 직장에서 나온 월급은 겨우 우리의 생활비, 교통비 및 한국으로 당신의 가족을 보러 갈 수 있는 약간의 여비만을 남겨주었죠. 여보, 당신은 내 박사 생활동안 많은 도움을 주었어요: 내가 박사생활을 하며 만난 사람들에 관계에 대한 조언(대부분이 결국엔 다 당신의 말이 맞았죠!), 내가 혼자 하와이에 학회를 가야 할때 날 위로해 줬던 말들, 그 뒤에 바로 부산에 가야했을때 나와 함께 해줬던 시간들. 여보는 나와 이 힘들었던 박사 생활의 모든 시간을 함께 해주었어요. 내가 직장에서
힘든 일이 있었을 때마다, 내가 정말 힘들어 무너질 것 같았던 순간마다
당신은 내 옆에서 날 일으켜 세워줬고, 레온을 가졌을 때조차 내 옆에서
항상 인내를 가지고 내가 이 논문을 쓸 수 있도록 도와줬어요. 나는
영원히 당신의 남편이고, 평생 당신 옆에서 지금까지 내가 받은 모든
