Scanning Probe Studies of Complex Oxides

* 非技术摘要 * 纳米技术是众所周知的经济的一个重要组成部分，无论是现在还是未来，但大多数人没有意识到，多年来，人类已经通过控制材料的纳米结构来制造具有某些期望性能的材料。 从这个意义上说，纳米技术已经存在了几千年。 在过去的几十年里，我们对我们所制造的东西进行表征的能力发生了巨大的变化，这极大地改善了我们的合成技术。 显微镜一直是这一最近的革命在纳米表征的一个重要组成部分。 该项目基于一个简单的想法，即在样品上光栅化一个纳米尺寸的传感器，以测量不同的属性，如磁性和超导性。 从事这项工作的研究小组包括年轻的男女，其中许多人有西班牙裔背景，从高中到博士。水平。*技术摘要 * 本项目以研究新材料为目标，重点开发在低温下工作的新型扫描探针技术。 最近的例子包括巨磁阻材料的研究，特别是锰氧化物，通过隧道显微镜和光谱学，磁力显微镜（MFM）和接触原子力显微镜。 另一个例子是用开尔文力显微镜和MFM研究多铁性材料。 最新的技术是基于微观霍尔传感器，已被用来研究稀磁半导体（Ga0.94Mn0.06As）。 这些技术将在纳米尺度上更好地理解新材料的电子、磁性和传输特性。

****NON-TECHNICAL ABSTRACT****Nanotechnology is well known as an important part of the economy, both present and future, but most people do not realize that for ages mankind has made materials with certain desirable properties by controlling the nanostructure of the material. In this sense nanotechnology has been around for a few millennia. What has changed dramatically in the last few decades is our ability to characterize what we make, which has greatly improved our synthesis techniques. Microscopy has been an important component of this recent revolution in nanocharacterization. This project is based on the simple idea of rastering a nano-sized sensor over the sample to measure different properties, such as magnetism and superconductivity. The research team working on this involves young men and women, many of Hispanic background, from the High School to the Ph.D. level.****TECHNICAL ABSTRACT****This project emphasizes the development of novel scanning probe techniques that operate at low temperatures, with the goal of studying new materials. Recent examples include the study of colossal magnetoresistive materials, manganites in particular, by tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, magnetic force microscopy (MFM) and contact atomic force microscopy. Another example is the study of multiferroic materials with Kelvin force microscopy and MFM. The most recent technique is based on a microscopic Hall sensor, which has been used to study a dilute magnetic semiconductor (Ga0.94Mn0.06As). These techniques will provide a better understanding at the nanoscale of the electronic, magnetic, and transport properties of new materials.