MRI: Acquisition of a Physical Property Measurement System for Research and Education

Technical Abstract

The University of North Florida will acquire a new Physical Property Measurement System (PPMS). The PPMS is capable of making DC & AC electrical transport and heat capacity measurements over a 0.4 to 400 K temperature range in fields up to 9 Tesla. Research projects include (1) probing the ground state electronic levels to provide critical information needed to restrain adjustable parameters in the theory for several new III-VI Diluted Magnetic Semiconductors (DMS), (2) establishing if a charge density wave is involved in the prominent thermal hysteresis in In1 xMnxSe, (3) investigating reports of room-temperature ferromagnetism in a semiconductor (Zn1 xCrxTe), (4) helping identify ferromagnetic transition temperatures in nanostructured GdAl2 systems, and (5) continuing investigations of new materials as we explore the new class of layered III-VI DMS. The PPMS will affect local high school teachers and a host of undergraduate students at the University of North Florida involved in research activities as well as through new high-quality experiments in the senior-level undergraduate Advanced Physics Lab. This major instrumentation will also impact graduate and post-doctoral students at collaborating graduate universities.

Lay Abstract

The Physical Property Measurement System (PPMS) can acquire the large amount of data needed to characterize new materials that are being investigated for potential application in the next generations of solid state devices. Significant advances in technology have been made by the discovery of useful properties of new materials. The combination of several experimental techniques, automation, and low cost into this single instrument (the PPMS) results in a very powerful research tool capable of providing the high-quality data needed to explore whole new classes of materials. The new Physical Property Measurement System at the University of North Florida will lead to a more comprehensive analysis of the semiconducting systems and nano-materials under study and expand the scope of research into currently inaccessible areas. The PPMS will affect local high school teachers and a host of undergraduate students at the University of North Florida involved in research activities as well as through new high-quality experiments in the senior-level undergraduate Advanced Physics Lab. This major instrumentation will also impact graduate and post-doctoral students at collaborating graduate universities. Potential applications for the materials currently being investigated include infra-red and night vision devices, optical switching, memory chips, and new surfaces for high capacity hard drives among others.