Dr. Elisabeth Gruber

 

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Curriculum Vitae

Current and Previous Positions

• since 2024 Principal investigator (FWF - Elise-Richter), Institute of Ion Physics and Applied Physics, University of Innsbruck, Austria
• 2020-2023 Principal investigator (FWF - Hertha-Firnberg), Institute of Ion Physics and Applied Physics, University of Innsbruck, Austria
• 2017-2020 Post-doctoral researcher, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Denmark
• 2013-2017 University Assistant, Institute of Applied Physics, TU Wien, Austria

Education

• 2017: Ph.D. Technical Physics (with distinction), TU Wien
• 2012: M.Sc. Technical Physics (with distinction), TU Wien
• 2009: B.Sc. Technical Physics (with distinction), TU Wien

Research interests

• Molecular Physics / Astrophysics / Biophysics: optical spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, photophysics of (bio)molecules, molecular dynamics, molecular relaxation processes, diffuse interstellar bands
• Cold physics: cluster formation, helium nanodroplets
• Atomic / Ion physics: highly charged ions, atomic relaxation processes, charge exchange and energy loss processes, atomic collisions (ion-atoms/molecules)
• Surface Physics: ion-surface interaction processes, surface-nanostructuring, 2D materials, high resolution imaging techniques (AFM, TEM, STEM)

Fellowships, honors and awards

• 2024: FWF-Elise-Richter Grant on "Messenger spectroscopy of C60 analogues" 
• 2023: Grant of the Tiroler Wissenschaftsförderung on "Spectroscopy of He-tagged photoactive (metal)organic molecules"
• 2020: FWF-Hertha-Firnberg Grant on "Biomolecular Spectroscopy in Charged Helium Nanodroplets"
• 2017: Hannspeter-Winter Award 2017 (doctoral dissertation award), TU Wien
• 2017: Loschmidt-Prize 2017 (doctoral dissertation award), Austrian Chemical-Physical Society
• 2015, 2016: Scholarship grant of TU Wien for conference participation
• 2013: Scholarship grant of TU Wien for academic research
• 2010: Proexcellentia II: Honour for academic performance, South Tyrol, Italy
• 2007, 2010: Scholarship for academic excellence, South Tyrol, Italy
• 2006: Proexcellentia I: Honour of the 10 best high-school graduates of South Tyrol, Italy

Teaching experience

• WS2022/23, WS2023/24 and WS2024/25: Lecture at Universität Innsbruck: "Einführung in die Material- und Nanowissenschaften"
• SS2023: Laboratory Course - Special Advanced Laboratory Class A: Ion Physics and Applied Physics at Universität Innsbruck
• SS2022: Laboratory Course at Universität Innsbruck (Fortgeschrittenen-Praktikum 1)
• WS2015/16: Laboratory Course Physics II at TU Wien (Laborpraktikum Physik)

Scientific stays abroad

• European XFEL, Hamburg, Germany (one week in June 2023)                                                                                                                  Research: Single-electron nanoplasma seeding probed by ultrafast X-ray coherent diffractive imaging. (PI: Dr. Oliver Gessner)
• Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Germany, in total 10 weeks (2013-2016);
  Research: Charge exchange and energy loss of highly charged ions interacting with 2D materials
• Grand Accélérateur National D’Ions Lourds (Ganil) Caen, France, in total 6 weeks (2013- 2015);
  Research: Surface nanostructuring by swift heavy and highly charged ions
• University Duisburg-Essen, Germany (09/2014);
  Research: Surface nanostructuring by highly charged ions; UHV-AFM measurements
• University Bielefeld, Germany (02/2013);
  Research: HIM (helium ion microscopy) measurements of irradiated carbon nanomembranes

Academic achievements and activities

• 51 publications in peer-reviewed journals (among them 2 Nat. Comm., 1 JACS, 3 PRL, 1 Adv. Sci.)
• 32 talks at international conferences (22 invited)
• Since 2012: (Co)-Supervision of Bachelor (9), Master (7) and PhD (3) students 
• Since October 2022: MC member of the COST Action CA21126 ’NanoSpace’
• Refereeing work for international scientific journals

• Professional Training: Participation at the Mentoring Programme 2022/23 from the University of Innsbruck;

• Outreach activities:
  • Invited participant of the panel discussion: Graphen - der neue Wunderstoff in der Wissenschaft, TU Wien (March 16, 2017);
  • Invited Talk at the Science Night 2019: Das Wunder des Sehens und der Fotosynthese - Wie die Physik Licht in die biologie bringt, Algund, South Tyrol, (April 16, 2019);
  • Evaluation and Awarding of the Dr. Hans Riegel Fachpreise 2022 for the discipline Physics at the Universität Innsbruck (2022)
  • Links to press releases: 
    • Meteorite Impact on a Nano Scale | TU Wien
    • Graphene able to transport huge currents on the nano scale | TU Wien
    • Experimentalphysik mit hoher Teilchenenergie - Geistesblitz - derStandard.at › Wissenschaft
    • What do you do at IFA when the institute is closed? (au.dk)
    • Less than the Blink of an Eye (au.dk)
    • Blick ins Innere von photoaktiven Molekülen – Universität Innsbruck (uibk.ac.at)

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Ten representative publications

1. S. A. Krasnokutski, L. Ganner, M. Ončák, F. Zappa, P. Scheier, and E. Gruber, Identification of C₄⁺ as the carrier of the diffuse interstellar band at 503.9 nm?, Astrophys. J. 982, 34 (2025). DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/adb72e

2. L. Ganner, S. Bergmeister, L. Lorenz, M. Ončák, P. Scheier, E. Gruber, Formation of Doubly and Triply Charged Fullerene Dimers in Superfluid Helium Nanodroplets, Phys. Rev. Lett. 133, 023001 (2024). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.133.023001

3. Bergmeister, L. Ganner, M. Ončák*, E. Gruber*, Gas-Phase Electronic Structure of Phthalocyanine Ions: A Study of Symmetry and Solvation Effects, Adv. Sci. 11, 2307816 (2024). DOI:10.1002/advs.202307816 
4. Bergmeister, L. Ganner, J. Locher, F. Zappa, P. Scheier, E. Gruber*, Spectroscopy of helium-tagged molecular ions – Development of a novel experimental setup, Rev. Sci. Instrum.  94, 055105 (2023). DOI: 10.1063/5.0144239 
5. S. Albertini, E. Gruber, F. Zappa, S. Krasnokutski, F. Laimer, P. Scheier, Chemistry and physics of dopants embedded in helium droplets, Mass Spectrom. Rev., 1-39 (2021). DOI: 10.1002/mas.21699
6. E. Gruber, A. M. Kabylda, M. B. Nielsen, A. P. Rasmussen, R. Teiwes, P. A. Kusochek, A. V. Bochenkova, L. H. Andersen, Light Driven Ultrafast Bioinspired Molecular Motors: Steering and Accelerating Photoisomerization Dynamics of Retinal, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 144, 69 (2022). DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c10752
7. H. V. Kiefer, E. Gruber, J. Langeland, P. A. Kusochek, A. V. Bochenkova, L. H. Andersen, Intrinsic photoisomerization dynamics of protonated Schiff-base retinal, Nat. Commun. 10, 1210 (2019). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-09225-7
8. E. Gruber, C. Kjær, S. Brøndsted Nielsen, L. H. Andersen, Intrinsic Photophysics of the Lightharvesting Chlorophyll a and b Pigments, Chem. Eur. J. 25, 39 (2019). DOI: 10.1002/chem.201901786
9. R. Wilhelm, E. Gruber, J. Schwestka, R. Kozubek, T. Madeira, J. Marques, J. Kobus, A. Krasheninnikov, M. Schleberger, F. Aumayr, Interatomic Coulombic Decay - the mechanism for rapid deexcitation of hollow atoms, Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 103401 (2017). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.103401
10. E. Gruber, R. A. Wilhelm, R. Pétuya, V. Smejkal, R. Kozubek, A. Hierzenberger, B. C. Bayer, I. Aldazabal, A. K. Kazansky, F. Libisch, A. V. Krasheninnikov, M. Schleberger, S. Facsko, A. G. Borisov, A. Arnau, F. Aumayr, Ultrafast electronic response of graphene to a strong and localized electric field, Nat. Commun. 7, 13948 (2016). DOI: 10.1038/ncomms13948