Acquisition of an X-Ray Diffractometer for Nanoscale Materials Research and Education

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This grant is for the acquisition of a state-of-the-art multi-purpose X-Ray diffractometer system. The instrument will be located in the Center for Materials Research and Analysis (CMRA) X-Ray Materials Characterization Facility. It will provide new, essential capabilities, dramatically increasing research productivity. The new instrument will meet the needs of researchers who require qualitative and quantitative phase analysis, crystal structure analysis, stress measurement, static and dynamic high- and low-temperature studies in air, vacuum or inert gas, and thin-film characterization including reflectivity and grazing-incidence diffraction. Software will allow more advanced acquisition and analysis of data. Features of the requested instrument include: (1) Rotating anode high-intensity X-Ray source; (2) High- precision goniometer with automatic alignment; (3) Sample stage for precise mounting of samples; (4) Multi-purpose optical system including variable and fixed slits with easy conversion from parafocusing to various parallel beam configurations; (5) High- and low-temperature chambers; (6) Position sensitive detector to significantly reduce data collection time; (7) Modern analytical software package; and (7) Radiation enclosure with convenient access. The CMRA is a multidisciplinary research center with over 60 faculty members in 7 departments. Major collaborative initiatives under way are the NSF MRSEC: Quantum and Spin Phenomena in Nanomagnetic Structures (QSPINS), the W.M. Keck Center for Mesospin and Quantum Information Systems, and an ONR Nano-Initiative: Nanoscale Magnetoelectronic Structures and Devices. These three programs involve 27 faculty members and the total funding over $10 million. The X-Ray Materials Characterization Facility is one of seven CMRA research facilities available to all NU faculty as well as companies in Nebraska and elsewhere. A full-time Materials Research Specialist maintains equipment, trains and assists users in safety, analysis techniques and data interpretation and presentation. The X-Ray diffractometer system will greatly enhance materials research and education throughout the university and especially improve the structural characterization of many of the nanoscale materials involved in the above-mentioned group grants. The disciplines represented by the principal investigators of this proposal include materials science, physics, chemistry, chemical engineering, and mechanical engineering.