MRI: Acquisition of a Versatile Magnetic Property Measurement System

Florida State University, Tallahassee FL

Investigators

Abstract

With this award, Florida State University (FSU) will establish a Magnetic Property Measurement System with versatile capabilities for accurate and precise measurements of magnetic properties of molecules and materials. The system will facilitate studies of magnetic behavior of matter at different length scales and under broadly variable conditions. The project will impact many areas, including inorganic and organic chemistry, condensed-matter physics, chemical physics, and materials science. This instrument is an integral part of teaching and research training of graduate and undergraduate students, who are involved in research on diverse topics related to fundamental understanding and practical applications of magnetism and magnetic materials. The resource will be also utilized by neighboring primarily-undergraduate and minority-serving institutions, as well as in practical hands-on exercises during the undergraduate summer school on magnetism and magnetic materials held biennially on the FSU campus. In particular, the project will leverage the proximity of the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) to facilitate training of students from the joint FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. The versatility and reliability of the requested cryogen-free system will help establish a broad user base. The research directions pursued by the project team and other major users include magneto-structural phase transitions that underlie energy-conversion technologies, emergent properties of correlated magnetic materials, synthesis of new magnetic materials in molten metal fluxes, controlled modulation of magnetism by surface organic molecules, correlated magnetic/plasmonic properties of quantum dots, magnetic exchange interactions in metal-organic frameworks under high pressure, and spin-state switching in transition metal complexes with radical anions. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.