Electron, optical and acoustic characterization of advanced materials and microstructures

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The objectives of the research are to construct new types of microscopes and develop new methods of microscopy in order to make new measurements of the properties of materials. The microscopes use holography to interfere electrons, photons and acoustic beams. The material properties are being determined from the intensity and phase of beams having passed through the materials. One microscopy method, energy-filtered diffracted beam holography (DBH) is being used to measure the coherence properties of plasmons and phonons from degree of coherence and spatial coherence width measurements, which will enable researchers to understand nanoscience and to develop nanotechnology. Energy-filtered DBH should also be able to measure the coherence properties of interband charges (electrons, holes, dopants) in electronic materials and the magnetic potential and coherence of magnons in magnetic materials. A confocal holography (CH) microscope will non-intrusively measure the absolute three-dimensional temperatures, compositions, electrostatic and magnetic potentials existing in materials. Various types of CH microscopes have been designed, simulated and are now under construction. A laser CH microscope will measure temperatures and compositions in fluids and solids to help explain heat and mass transport mechanisms. An acoustic CH microscope will measure temperatures and compositions of objects representative of human tissue for medical diagnostic purposes. An electron CH microscope will measure electrostatic and magnetic potentials in materials at the nanoscale with the ultimate goal of knowing the electron density existing between the atoms.