MRI: Acquisition of Major Research Instrumentation for Advanced Photoelectron Spectroscopy with Spin, Angle and Spatial Resolution

University Of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville TN

Investigators

Abstract

0923125 Mannella U. of Tennessee Knoxville Technical Summary: Besides growth and characterizion capabilities with systematic transport and structural studies, detailed investigations of the electronic structure of advanced materials are essential in order to advance our understanding of the fundamental underpinnings of their properties. Photoemission Spectroscopy (PES) is one of the most powerful techniques for characterizing the electronic structure of materials. We propose the realization of a laboratory-based PES user facility for analysis of the chemical and electronic properties of various forms of condensed matter that are at the forefront of scientific and technological innovation. These include Correlated Oxides, Physics of Low Dimensional Systems (surfaces, interfaces, and nanophase materials), Materials for Solar Energy Conversion, Thin film superconductors, Magnetic Semiconductors and Nanostructures, Hydrogen Storage, Lunar rocks and Soils, Water Hydration of Minerals, Characterizattion of Electronics (PCBs) and Biomedical Devices for Drug Delivery. The spectrometer presents truly unique characteristics such as 1) a monochromatized x-ray source with two different energies (Al K?Ñ = 1486 eV and Ag L?Ñ?n?­ 2984 eV) with micro-spot of ?l 130 ?Ým for analysis of very small or inhomogeneous samples, and 2) a state-of-the-art hemispherical electron analyzer provisioned with a mini-Mott detector for electron spin detection. The facility will be an asset for the UT system and for a broad range of UTK departments ranging from Physics, Chemistry, Geology, Biology, and Material Engineering, and it is thus expected to nucleate interdisciplinary research covered under several NSF program areas. The proposed instrument will be based on campus, so that our students and faculty can have easy access and copious amounts of time using a state-of-the-art electron spectrometer. The proposed science and supporting infrastructure will provide an excellent setting for the education and training of internationally competitive students and postdocs from several departments. The instrument will not only complement, but also enhance the productivity of investigations carried out at facilities such as the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS), the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS), the Joint Institute for Advanced Materials (JIAM) which render UTK a unique place in the nation for advanced materials research. The addition of the multiple-user photoemission facility hereby proposed will grant UTK an invaluable asset for becoming a leading world-wide institution for materials characterization, research and development. Laymen Summary: Materials are the building blocks of every form of solid matter naturally existing in the universe or manufactured by humankind. The onset of new materials has always marked a major turning point in human society, with the material of choice of a given era often being its defining point. More recently, impressive advances in materials synthesis have resulted in the discovery of an ever-increasing number of complex materials exhibiting exotic properties at the forefront of promising revolutionary technological applications ranging from engineering to biotechnology. Detailed investigations of the electronic structure are essential in order to advance our understanding of the properties of advanced material. We propose the realization of a laboratory-based user facility for carrying out experiments using Photoelectron Spectroscopy, one of the most powerful techniques for measuring the electronic structure and chemical nature of materials. This instrumentation will be used to investigate the electronic properties of a wide variety of materials, including Materials for Solar Energy Conversion and Hydrogen Storage, Superconductors, Magnetic materials for data storage, Polymers, Catalysts, Biomedical Devices for Drug Delivery, Nanostructures, Lunar rocks and Soil, Biological Cells, Bacteria and Minerals. The facility will be an asset for the UT system and for a broad range of UTK departments ranging from Physics, Chemistry, Geology, Biology, and Material Engineering, and it is thus expected to nucleate interdisciplinary research. The proposed instrument will be based on campus, so that our students and faculty can have easy access and copious amounts of time using a state-of-the-art electron spectrometer. The proposed science and supporting infrastructure will provide an excellent setting for the education and training of internationally competitive students and postdocs from several departments. The instrument will not only complement, but also enhance the productivity of investigations carried out at other existing facilities which render UTK a unique place in the nation for advanced materials research. The addition of the multiple-user photoemission facility hereby proposed will grant UTK an invaluable asset for becoming a leading world-wide institution for materials characterization, research and development.