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General
Research
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Department of Physics: Condensed Matter Physics
 Research in
condensed matter physics (CMP) is usually
carried out in relatively small groups with much individual effort. This
is
certainly the case here at IU. The group is divided
between experimental condensed matter physics and
theoretical
condensed matter physics. Research details are lsited under individual
faculty names and the website for Low Energy Neutron Source (LENS).
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Baxter is presently directing the construction
of the Low Energy Neutron Source (LENS) here at IU. This facility,
which will be based on the world's first university-based pulsed
neutron source, will be devoted to studies of large-scale structures
in materials using SANS and other techniques, the development of
new types of neutron instrumentation, and the education of users
in neutron techniques. In addition to this interest in neutron
techniques, I maintain an interest in low-temperature magnetotransport
and structural studies of a variety of interesting materials including ferromagnetic
semiconductors, metallic multilayers, and materials near the metal-insulator
transition. |
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Phone: Swain West 224 (812)855-7658 | IUCF (812)855-0932
Email: dbossev@indiana.edu
Current interests are structure and dynamics of complex fluid systems studied by neutron scattering techniques including:
- Particle interaction in organic solvent mixtures
- Aggregation at extreme conditions such as high temperature & high pressures
- Lipid bilayers
- Ferrofluids
- Surfactant systems
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Research in my lab concentrates on experimental
studies of the dynamics of electrons in disordered materials and
on waves in artificial structures.
The study of disordered materials is challenging in a number of
interesting ways. Most obviously, electrons will not form Bloch
waves as they do in crystalline materials, but in addition, the
disorder enhances the effects of electron-electron interactions
and, in the case of strong disorder, leads to localization of the
electronic states. There are further questions about the role of
the intrinsic local inhomogeneity in the nature of the electronic
states.
Dynamical experiments are useful as a way of probing the motion
of electrons in their disordered environment; if the frequencies
are sufficiently high, one directly observes the quantum-mechanically
coherent response of the electrons. Near quantum-critical transitions,
the response is dominated by quantum fluctuations. For example,
near the disorder-driven metal-insulator transition the conductivity
and dielectric responses become intrinsically scale-dependent in
time and space as the system fluctuates between conducting and
non-conducting ground states.
Disordered materials often have unique magnetic properties as
well. In many systems, the relationship between the electric and
magnetic properties remains largely unexplored. |
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Current research focuses on surface physics, chemisorption and catalysis and the electron spectroscopy of surfaces. Much of our recent activity has focused on structural and vibrational analysis of surfaces using high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy, in conjunction with other analytical techniques. Recent topics have included the investigation of polymer films, plasma treatment of polymer surfaces and the thermal evolution of acetylene overlayers on palladium surfaces. Electrospun nanofibers are also being studied. |
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Research interests:
Structures of complex fluids and biomolecular systems both in bulk and as films and membranes studied with neutron and x-ray scattering; magnetic structures of thin films and multilayers; advanced neutron scattering instrumentation |
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Paul E. Sokol [home
page]Director, Indiana University Cyclotron Facility
Our research efforts focus on the microscope structure and dynamics of condensed matter using x-ray and neutron scattering techniques. Areas of study include the following:
- Collective Excitations in Confined Quantum Liquids
- Momentum Distribution of Hydrogen on Surfaces
- Microscopic Structure of Confined Solids
- Wetting on Nonstructural Surfaces
- Dynamics of Hydrogen in Reduced Dimensionality
- Hydrogen Storage Materials
These studies make extensive use of neutron and x-ray facilities both in the United States and Europe, as well as local facilities at Indiana University . Our research group is also involved in operating and constructing state of the art instrumentation. These efforts include:
- Operation of Beamline X-18A at the National Synchrotron Light Source at Brookhaven National Lab
- Construction of the Cold Neutron Chopper Spectrometer at the Spallation Neutron Source
- Formation of the Neutron Education and Training Institution for the development of advanced Instrumentation
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Professor Fertig is interested in the theoretical physics of low dimensional condensed matter systems. These include the two-dimensional electron gas, which supports an amazingly broad variety of phenomena and states: the quantum Hall effect, metal-insulator transitions, electron crystals, highly correlated metals, striped states, and quantum ferromagnetism. In addition, his research includes studies of vortex matter in superconducting systems, in which the competition between interactions of the vortices among themselves and with defects in the materials leads to pinning phenomena, of fundamental as well as practical interest. Professor Fertig has also been studying the statistical mechanics of topological defects (vortices and domain walls) in two-dimensional systems to understand their impact on the phases of several condensed matter systems. |
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A great challenge of theoretical physics is understanding and modeling interacting quantum many-body systems or quantum fields, and accurately predicting properties and functionalities of matter from the fundamental laws of quantum mechanics. Dr. Ortiz's research work is in condensed matter physics and quantum information science.
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Schaich's work is concentrated on the problems of electrodynamics
near surfaces, with the goals of both fundamental understanding
and contact with experiments.
Current work is concentrated on the optical response of microscopically
structured surfaces. We have developed computer codes based on
a variety of theoretical approaches. For simple frequency-selective
surfaces (where simple means that structures are thin compared
to the penetration depth of the probing light), we have codes that
employ the method of moments with the moments parametrizing the
patterns of induced currents. For more general configurations,
we have set up simulations using the finite-difference-time-domain
(fdtd) method. These solve Maxwell's equations on a discrete mesh
in both space and time. With all these codes we can study both
far field properties (like reflection, transmission, and absorption)
as well as near field properties (like field and current distributions).
These studies are being used to design and interpret several current
experiments.
A new research direction has been stimulated by the recent controversy
over the behavior of so-called negative index materials. Our approach
is to produce movies showing the propagation of a pulse of light
as it encounters such material. This allows one to "see" clearly
what happens. |
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Swihart works on the theory of high-temperature
superconductivity, and is also engaged in numerical studies of
the electronic structure of amorphous alloys. In the high Tc area,
he has recently been looking at the consequences of s- vs d-wave
pairing. |
Staff
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Mike
Hosek
Instrumentation Engineer
Office: Swain West 029
Phone: 812-855-3052
Fax: 812-855-5533
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