Acquisition of the EMX-plus EPR Spectrometer

诺福克州立大学（NSU）的科学家们致力于开发新型材料和纳米结构，量子物理学在其中发挥了重要作用，产生了普通材料中没有的不寻常的磁、电和光学特性。这些独特的性质与电子的量子行为以及它们在原子尺度上的相互作用有关。该主要研究仪器（MRI）奖将购买一台电子自旋共振光谱仪，它允许人们获得单个未配对电子和电子组件的信息，表征材料的磁性，并探索用光操纵电子的可能性。正在开发的材料和系统可以彻底改变未来的技术，为新型光敏材料的能源技术做出贡献，并将信息处理加速到光学操作速度（比现在快几个数量级）。此外，电子自旋共振仪器对于教育和培训来自代表性不足的少数群体的研究生和本科生（其中许多是第一代大学生或研究生）非常重要，可以让他们参与前沿研究并提供先进科学设备的实践经验。此外，该仪器还可作为支持新大和其他当地学校STEM研究的多用户设施。电子磁共振方法提供了关于未配对电子自旋、它们的相互作用和动力学的重要信息，并允许人们表征磁性材料的磁相，以及反磁性系统中缺陷和杂质价态的存在。新型EMXplus EPR光谱仪是材料科学的重要表征设备，涉及诺福克州立大学材料研究中心的几个研究方向，其中包括：(i)量子材料，它表现出不寻常的磁性和与手性拓扑相关的磁性和电荷输运自由度之间的相互作用；（ii）具有等离子体、磁和电耦合效应的纳米结构系统；（iii）超磁性纳米粒子从量子行为到经典行为的转变；（iv）光照和有机系统中自旋依赖输运的影响。该仪器将作为一个多用户设施，也丰富了教育，为诺福克州立大学（美国最大的HBCU之一）及其合作院校（伊丽莎白市州立大学和弗吉尼亚州立大学）的少数族裔研究生和本科生的培训提供实践经验。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Non-technical summaryScientists at Norfolk State University (NSU) work on developing novel materials and nanostructures where quantum physics plays a significant role producing unusual magnetic, electric, and optical properties not found in common materials. These unique properties are related to the quantum behavior of electrons and interactions between them at the atomic scale. This Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) award will purchase an electron spin resonance spectrometer, which allows one to get information on individual unpaired electrons and electron assemblies, characterize magnetic properties of materials, and explore possibilities for manipulation of electrons with light. The materials and systems that are being developed can revolutionize future technology, contribute to energy technology with new photosensitive materials, and accelerate Information processing to optical speeds of operation (orders of magnitude faster than now). In addition, the electron spin resonance instrumentation is important for the education and training of graduate and undergraduate students from underrepresented minority groups (many of whom are first-generation college or graduate students) by involving them in cutting-edge research and providing hands-on experience on advanced scientific equipment. Furthermore, the instrument serves as a multi-user facility supporting STEM research at NSU and other local schools. Technical summaryElectron magnetic resonance methods provide an important information on unpaired electron spins, their interactions and dynamics, and allow one to characterize magnetic phases of magnetic materials, and the presence of defects and valence states of impurities in diamagnetic systems. The new EMXplus EPR Spectrometer is a vital characterization equipment for materials science and is involved in several research directions in the Center for Materials Research of Norfolk State University, which include: (i) quantum materials, which demonstrate unusual magnetism and interplay between magnetic and charge transport degrees of freedom associated with chiral topology; (ii) nanostructured systems with coupling of plasmonic, magnetic and electric effects; (iii) transition from quantum to classical behavior in supermaramagnetic nanoparticles; and (iv) effects of light illumination and spin-dependent transport in organic systems. The instrumentation will serve as a multi-user facility, and also enrich education, providing hands-on experience in training of graduate and undergraduate students from underrepresented minority groups at Norfolk State University, one of the largest HBCUs in the nation, and partner HBCU institutions (Elizabeth City State University and Virginia State University).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.