Acquisition of a Microwave Network Analyzer System

9802900 Xi该奖项提供了部分支持微波网络分析仪系统的收购，以支持在物理，化学和材料科学与工程系的教师在宾夕法尼亚州立大学的基础材料研究。 这一设备将加强若干领域的研究，包括：（1）可调谐微波器件用铁电薄膜的介电非线性和损耗;（2）通过微波穿透深度测量确定高温超导体的特性，以研究静电充电引起的绝缘体-超导体转变;（3）用频率相关测量方法研究高温超导体的二维涡旋-反涡旋对动力学性质;（4）自旋注入对巨磁电阻/高温超导多层膜超导电性的影响：（5）化学自组装产生的单电子隧穿系统;（6）使用分子束外延通过外延稳定化生长亚稳氧化物，包括具有铁电和超导特性的新型人造材料。 除了四名教师外，这些研究项目目前涉及31名研究生，博士后研究员和研究助理。 微波网络分析仪系统使研究人员能够测量双端口网络的幅度，相位和群延迟，以表征其在45 MHz-26.5 GHz范围内的线性行为。 它是一个多功能系统，可用于和配置为各种研究项目所需的许多不同类型的微波测量。 例如，它可用于共面微带谐振器、近场微波显微镜以及正常金属或超导体腔测量。 在拟议的研究中，网络分析仪将用于测量微波频率下铁电薄膜的介电损耗，二维超导体中的超流密度，以及单电子隧道结阵列的全阻抗分析，以测试这些器件中的量子效应。 在每个研究项目中，微波频率能力是至关重要的，但在宾夕法尼亚州立大学不提供这些项目。 建议的网络分析仪将大大提高教师开展项目的有效性，并在各自的研究领域产生重大影响。 该仪器还将加强NSF/CAREER项目中的教育活动，该项目旨在通过为本科生实验室课程开发一个实验，铁电薄膜，将研究经验纳入本科生课程。 这是宾夕法尼亚州立大学物理系，特别是新成立的材料物理中心为改革物理教育所做努力的一部分。 在现有设施中增加微波网络分析仪将扩大为学生提供本科课程材料研究经验的能力。%*

9802900XiThis award provides partial support for the acquisition of a Microwave Network Analyzer System to support basic materials research by faculty members in the Physics, Chemistry, and Materials Science and Engineering Departments at the Pennsylvania State University. This equipment will enhance research in a number of areas including the following: (1) Dielectric nonlinearity and loss in ferroelectric thin films for tunable microwave devices; (2) characterization of high temperature superconductors by microwave penetration depth measurement to study insulator-superconductor transition by electrostatic charging; (3) study of two dimensional properties of high temperature superconductors concerning dynamics of vortex-antivortex pairs by frequency dependent measurements; (4) effects of spin injection on superconductivity in colossal magnetoresistance/high temperature superconductor multilayers; (5) single electron tunneling system produced by chemical self-assembly; (6) growth of metastable oxides by epitaxial stabilization using molecular bean epitaxy, including new artificial materials with ferroelectric and superconducting properties. Besides the four faculty members, these research projects currently involve 31 graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and research associates. The microwave network analyzer system enables researchers to measure the magnitude, phase, and group delay of two-port networks to characterize their linear behavior from 45MHz-26.5GHz. It is a versatile system that can be used and configured for many different types of microwave measurements required by the various research projects. For example, it can be used for coplanar microstrip resonator, near-field microwave microscope, and normal metal or superconductor cavity measurements. In the proposed research, the network analyzer will be used to measure dielectric loss of ferroelectric thin films at microwave frequencies, the superfluid density in two-dimensional superconductors, and a full impedance analysis of single electron tunneling junction arrays to test quantum effects in these devices. In each of the research projects, the microwave frequency capability is crucially needed, but is not available at Penn State to these projects. The proposed network analyzer will tremendously enhance the effectiveness for the faculty members to carry out their projects and make big impact in their respective research fields. The instrument will also enhance the education activities in an NSF/CAREER project which aims to incorporate research experiences into the undergraduate curriculum by developing an experiment, Ferroelectric Thin Films, for the undergraduate laboratory course. This is part of the effort by the Physics Department at Penn State University, in particular the newly-established Center for Materials Physics, to reform physics education. Adding a microwave network analyzer to the existing facilities will expend the capability to offer students materials research experience through the undergraduate curriculum.%%%***