Andreas Brandlmaier was member of the Gross group as a Master and Ph.D. Student between 2007 and 2011.

Master Thesis: Magnetische Anisotropie in dünnen Schichten aus Magnetit  (2009)
Ph.D. Thesis: Electric-field Control of Magnetization in Multifunctional Hybrid Devices  (2011)

Andreas Brandlmaier was working on the control of the magnetization direction by strain and/or electric fields and the realization of multifunctional spintronic devices. In his thesis, Andreas Brandlmaier studied the spin-mechanics approach to magnetization control. This concept is based on the strain-mediated electric-field control of magnetizationdirection in ferromagnetic thin film/piezoelectric actuator hybrid systems. More precisely, he investigated magnetization manipulation concepts for both polycrystalline and single-crystalline ferromagnetic thin films. He particularly focussed on the control of the magnetization orientation, i.e., he studied the feasibility and limitations of a piezo-voltage generated manipulation of the macrospin magnetization. He could show that the magnetization orientation can be rotated continuously and reversibly within up to 90° at zero external magnetic field at room temperature solely by changing the voltage applied to the piezoelectric substrate. He also demonstrated irreversible and nonvolatile voltage-controlled magnetization reorientations of up to 180° upon an appropriate magnetic field preparation of the magnetization. He furthermore realized a proof-of-principle multifunctional memory device based on a nonvolatile and reversible all-electric-field control of remanent magnetization orientation. He showed that his results can be quantitatively understood within a single-domain (macrospin) Stoner-Wohlfarth type of approach.

Andreas Brandlmaier left WMI in 2011 to start a career in industry.