Acquisition of a Physical Properties Characterization Facility for Research and Student Training

University Of California-Riverside, Riverside CA

Investigators

Abstract

Basic information on the physical properties of materials, such as charge transport, specific heat, and magnetization, are increasingly important in a number of different fields. This award from the Instrumentation for Materials Research program will be used to purchase a Physical Property Measurement System from Quantum Design that will form the core capability of a Physical Properties Characterization Facility at UCR. With this instrument, the specific heat, electrical transport, and AC/torque magnetometry can be measured as a function of temperature from 0.5 K to 350 K and field up to 14 T. Broad interest has been expressed in the capability of this facility by researchers in condensed matter physics, chemistry, engineering, and the life sciences from UCR, several local colleges, and a government laboratory. The instrument also supports UCR's initiative in materials science. Some of the systems of interest include: biomaterials and pi-conjugated macromolecular materials with well-defined architectures, lanthanide and actinide intermetallic systems, exotic magnetic and superconducting materials, Fullerene chemistry, and molecular metals such Phenalenyl-based neutral radical conductors. Along with the research program, the instrument will be used in a required advanced laboratory course for undergraduates majoring in Physics. In recent years, there is much interest in exotic materials that exhibit new fundamental principles of nature, which can sometimes be exploited to yield useful products. As new systems are synthesized, characterizing their basic properties such as the way electric charge moves, the thermal response, and the magnetic response is important. Funds from this award from the Instrumentation for Materials Research program will be used to purchase a Physical Property Measurement System from Quantum Design. This instrument is fully automated and has sophisticated control systems for performing these measurements on small samples over a large range of temperatures and as a function of applied magnetic field. Scientists working in condensed matter physics, chemistry, materials science, and the life sciences often deal with new materials or systems where this type of information is useful, and we expect researchers from several departments at UCR, some local colleges, and a government laboratory to use this equipment. The instrument will also be used in a required advanced laboratory course for undergraduates majoring in Physics.