Thomas Duden studied Physics in Clausthal-Zellerfeld, where he also received his PhD. For research purposes, the experiments required the design of many instruments. These developments also included electronics (mainly stable high voltage and current sources), programming of PCs and microcontrollers plus the calculation of electron-optical components with their aberrations. Meanwhile, mechanical designs covered ultrahigh vacuum systems, components for electron microscopy and diffraction instruments, often in combination with spin-polarized electron beams. Longer work phases abroad took place at the IBM Almaden Research Center (San Jose), at Arizona State University, and at the National Center for Electron Microscopy of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Thomas Duden obtained his ham radio license at the age of 16 and currently operates a consulting service for the development of scientific instruments.