Acquisition of a Quantum Design PPMS for Research and Education

This award from the Major Research Instrumentation Program provides supports for acquisition of a Quantum Design Physical Properties Measurement System (PPMS). The PPMS is essential for a broad research collaboration between the Physics and Chemistry Departments at Rutgers U., New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), various other universities, a national laboratory, and industrial labs. The instrument will be used in a wide range of research, including research on the microscopic electronic/magnetic/structural inhomogeneity found in functional oxides, and its corresponding roles in the macroscopic physical response of these materials, such as magnetoresistance, magnetic permeability, piezoelectric constants, and linear/non-linear optical characteristics. The success of these research activities will depend on a speedy characterization of various material properties, and the PPMS will be essential for this purpose.

The PPMS will be directly used for education of undergraduate students as well as high school students from underrepresented groups. New experiments for an undergraduate class will be developed at the Department of Physics & Astronomy (Rutgers U.). In addition, T. Tyson at NJIT will incorporate magneto-transport and other magnetic experiments on superconducting cuprates to a seven-week summer workshop for high school students in the Newark area. Sabya Guha (Technician at Rutgers) will manage the maintenance and operation of the PPMS so that the safety of inexperienced students/users will be ensured.

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This award from the Major Research Instrumentation program supports Rutgers Univ New Brunswick with the acquisition of a Quantum Design Physical Properties Measurement System (PPMS), a multi-functional and user-friendly instrument. The PPMS can be used for measurements of a wide range of physical properties in complex materials. It will be essential for a broad research collaboration between Physics and Chemistry Departments at Rutgers, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), various other universities, a national laboratory, and industrial labs. Modern electronic and magnetic devices often utilize the physical response of materials when subjected to external influences such as magnetic or electric fields, pressure, or optical irradiation. Recent investigation suggests that the large-scale physical response can be drastically enhanced in materials with microscopic electronic/magnetic/structural inhomogeneity. Thus, this enhanced response in microscopically inhomogeneous materials can provide the scientific underpinning for future technologies. The research will focus on understanding as well as controlling the inter-relationship between the microscopic inhomogeneity and macroscopic physical response. The success of this project will critically depend on a comprehensive characterization of various materials, and the PPMS will be essential for this purpose.

The PPMS will be used directly for the education of undergraduate students as well as high school students from underrepresented groups. New experiments for an undergraduate class will be developed at the Department of Physics & Astronomy. Furthermore, T. Tyson at NJIT, will add magneto-transport and other magnetic experiments on superconducting cuprates to a seven-week summer workshop for underrepresented high school students in the Newark area