Proposed Research Project Descriptions for Summer 1997:

Listed below is a brief summary of some of the research projects available during the summer of 1997.

Professor Hellman: Experimental Condensed Matter Physics
The project will consist of research on novel magnetic materials. The students will be involved in the preparation, characterization or measurements of these materials, using , for example, an ultra-high vacuum multi-source deposition system,, various magnetometers for magnetic measurements, and a transport measurement apparatus.
Professor Sharma: Experimental High Energy Physics
We offer opportunities for undergraduate research in Experimental High Energy Physics using a Matter-Antimatter collider in Ithaca, NY and the forthcoming collider at SLAC. The research opportunities include study of the properties of particles made of charm and beauty quarks and search for their rare decays. Novel reconstruction techniques using silicon vertex detectors are emphasized.
Professor Levine: Theoretical Biophysics/Nonlinear Dynamics
Computer simulation of pattern formation in microorganism colonies. Specific systems that are under investigation inculde the formation of mound structures in the slime mold Dictyostelium and the formation of spot patterns in e-coli. Familiarity with some high-level programming language (preferably C) as well as the UNIX operating system required.
Professor Maple: Experimental Condensed Matter Physics
Single crystals of high temperature copper oxide superconductors will be prepared and characterized. Electrical resistivity and magnetic susceptibility measurements will then be performed in both the normal and superconducting states. Efforts will be made to increase the superconducting transition temperature as well as to optimize the superconducting properties of these single crystals. Electrical resistivity and magnetic susceptibility measurements will also be made.
Professor Schuller: Experimental Condensed Matter Physics
Research involves developing methods for the preparation, characterization and study of the physical properties of one and zero dimensional, magnetic or superconducting structures. This requires the use of state of the art growth technique together and the development of electron beam lithography methods for the preparation of the structures. Another research project involves photoexcitation in high temperature superconductors, magnetotransport in magnetic multilayers and superlattices, search for new superconductors etc. All these are done using state of the art thin film growth equipment, structural characterization using a variety of in situ surface analysis techniques, ex-situ diffraction, and a number of physical properties measurements.
Professor Goodkind: Low Temperature Experimental Research
We are measuring the propagation of ultrasound through solid helium in the temperature range below 1 Kelvin. We have found a new "quantum" phase transition (analagous to superconductivity and superfluidity) for which we do not yet have a physical understanding. We will be adding techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance and propagation of heat pulses to our experiments in order to begin to determine what the new phase is. The work will involve some construction and testing of experiments and some data acquisition and analysis plus learning about some of the present data theory of condensed matter.
Professor Xuong: Experimental Biophysics
We are looking for one or more people who are interested in the hardware design of a pixel imaging systems for Protein Crystallography. The candidates will participate in the design of a real time data acquisition system using room temperature Si or CdZnTe solid state x-ray detectors and associated support hardware on a ISA or VME platform. Candidates should have a basic understanding of analog and digital electronics including ADC/DAC conversion techniques and some programming experience in C or C++. Tasks will include circuit design using Pspice and will be expected to follow up the design with a working prototype using a computer interface. In addition to hardware design, the candidate will be expected to use their analytical skills to model charge transport of the solid state detector meterials using Matlab and/or Pspice.
Professor Basov: Experimental Condensed Matter Physics
Research involves infrared spectroscopy of novel materials which exhibit exotic electronic properties. One of the possible projects will be devoted to the studies of high-T-c- superconductors with infrared methods. This includes measurements of the low-temperature reflectance of (Y-Pr) BaCuO microcrystals using state-of-the-art Fourier-transform interferometer and analysis of the obtained results. Another project involves construction of a set-up for grazing incidence infrared reflectometry. This apparatus will be used for the survey of the anisotropy of the electronic transport in novel superconducting and magnetic materials.