Physics Commons^™

Ultra-Flat Au Surfaces On Finite Layer Mos2, Jeff Carlson, Timothy E. Kidd Ph.D., Andrew J. Stollenwerk Ph.D.

Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Symposium

We have developed a method for creating ultra-flat Au surfaces by sputtering Au onto thin films of MoS₂. This method is more cost effective than current technologies. Our Au surfaces are subatomically flat over relatively large areas making them useful for self assembled monolayer (SAM) research.

A Lite Daq System For Precision Resistance Measurements, Nathan Schmidt, Timothy E. Kidd Ph.D.

Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Symposium

Data acquisition (DAQ) systems are frequently utilized in lab settings. Basic DAQ systems are a common occurrence in lab courses for this reason. Commonly, however, the DAQ systems utilized in such courses are proprietary, and do not allow students to understand how they operate beyond a “plug in and go” nature as a result. A further consequence is that these systems are not capable of being programmed, such as is often done with equipment used in professional labs. The DAQ systems used in lab courses aren’t easily replaced by the test equipment they seek to emulate due to cost. Ideally, …

Analysis Of Temperature Dependence Of Surface Roughness Of Gold Film On Mos2, Joshua Wolff, Jeff Carlson, Timothy E. Kidd Ph.D.

Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Symposium

We have developed a method to control the surface roughness of ultrathin Au surfaces on MoS₂ crystals through the use of annealing. Through this method, we are now able to utilize Au surfaces for a variety of research, such as research on self-assembled monolayers (SAM) as well as with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS).

Chemical Substitution Induced Half-Metallicity In Crmnsb0.5si0.5, Lukas Stuelke, Pavel Lukashev Ph.D.

Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Symposium

Background

⮚Research on magnetic materials for potential applications in spin-based electronics: one of the most active fields in academia and industry. ⮚High degree of spin polarization – wanted in spintronics. ⮚Spintronics – an emerging technology utilizing a spin degree of freedom. ⮚Various mechanisms alter degree of spin polarization – mechanical strain, structural disorder, temperature, termination surface/interface, etc. ⮚Magnetic materials that conduct electrons of only one spin are called half-metals, and have a great potential in spintronics.

Electronic, Magnetic, And Structural Properties Of Comnvsb, Adam Ramker, Pavel Lukashev Ph.D.

Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Symposium

Background

• Spin degree of freedom in electronic devices.
• Ideal candidate – room temperature half-metal.
• Heusler compounds attractive because of high Curie temperature
• Various mechanisms altering degree of spin polarization – mechanical strain, structural disorder, temperature, termination surface/interface, etc.
• CoMnVSb: nearly a spin gapless semiconductor.

Sustainable And Biodegradable Nanocellulose Composite Materials, Jacob Scheel, Tim Kidd Ph.D.

Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Symposium

Nanocellulose is made from a mixture of cellulose powder, and a variety of different materials and liquids. Unfortunately the cost to produce nanocellulose isn’t ideal, thanks to shrinkage. The goal of my research this year was to try to make nanocellulose more cost effective, by reduce shrinkage.

Poster Session: Tagging Pb-214 Decay Events Via Toy Monte Carlo Method, Samuel Schleich

Society of Physics Students Regional Meeting

Pb-214 β-decay events within a liquid xenon time projection chamber can often look identical to the signature of a WIMP interaction, which causes false positives in the search for dark matter. To combat this, we can “tag” decay events of the Rn-222 decay chain, which is based on the timing and position of decay events. My algorithm pieced these events together like puzzle pieces to determine the validity of Pb-214 β-decay events. Using a Toy Monte Carlo model, I was able to simulate both the Rn-222 decay chain and begin to tag decay events to eliminate false positives.

Poster Session: Simulating Griffiths Phase Behavior, Aaron Janaszak

Society of Physics Students Regional Meeting

The Griffiths Phase is a result of a spontaneous increase in the overall magnetization of the system primarily influenced by the rare, large clusters transitioning to a ferromagnetic state at the Curie temperature. Approaching this computationally, we were able to create a MATLAB program that exhibits this trend by using the Langevin function to simulate clusters. Modifying variables resulted in behaviors similar to that experienced in a laboratory setting, lending support to the veracity of the model. Further refinement of the computational model could allow in-depth exploration and lead to a better understanding of the Griffiths Phase.

Poster Session: Predicted Net Flux Versus Pressure Profiles During A Probe Descent Into Uranus’S Atmosphere, Meredith Wieber, Shahid Aslam, Maarten Roos, Patrick Irwin, Geronimo Villanueva

Society of Physics Students Regional Meeting

The responsivity of the proposed Net Flux Radiometer (NFR) for the Ice Giants was examined, using a specialty browser tool. This tool takes simulated spectra of Uranus, along with specific parameters of the NFR, and applies Net Flux calculations in order to produce a net flux profile, a simulated view of what the NFR probe would observe as it plunged into Uranus’s atmosphere. The efforts of this project led to a redesign of the NFR to include an increase in the FOV of the radiation-collection windows from 5° to 10°, as well as the selection of spectral bandwidths for observation …

Analyzing And Classifying Single Molecule Microscopy Data, Troy Buzynski, Ali Tabei

Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Symposium

No abstract provided.

Developing Arduino Coding Curriculum, Tyler Brown, Riley Bucheitte, Timothy Kidd

Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Symposium

No abstract provided.

Dynamic Monte Carlo Modeling Of Protein-Dna Interactions, Aaron Kirchman, Ali Tabei

Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Symposium

No abstract provided.

First-Principles Study Of V(1+X)S(2-X) Monolayer, Adam Ramker, Evan O’Leary, Pavel Lukashev

Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Symposium

No abstract provided.

Chemical Substitution Induced Half-Metallicity In Crmnsb(1-X)Px, Devon Vanbrogen, Adam Ramker, Evan O’Leary, Pavel Lukashev

Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Symposium

No abstract provided.

Modeling The Griffiths Phase In Manganese Intercalated Tantalum Disulfide [Poster], Aaron Janaszak, Lukas Stuelke, Paul Shand

Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Symposium

No abstract provided.

The Manhattan Project And The Globalization Of Nuclear Weapons, Cole Schreiber, Paul Shand

Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Symposium

Novel Data Analysis Methods In Multi-Channel And Multi-State Binding Experiments, Joseph Tibbs, Elizabeth Boehm, Wayne Bowie, Todd Washington, Maria Spies, Ali Tabei

Research in the Capitol

Single-Molecule studies use advanced microscopy techniques to view biomolecules, such as proteins and DNA, individually. On a slide, fluorescently-labeled molecules are immobilized and imaged using lasers, and the patterns of fluorescence can give important information about the interactions of multiple molecules. To extract this information, advanced, customizable data analysis tools must be created. The first goal is to create a method to robustly normalize (correct for brightness) single-channel fluorescence data. The second goal is to extend pattern recognition of binding order to multi-state and multi-channel binding patterns. The KERA 3.0 suite links creative pattern-recognition and normalization techniques with the abilities …

Influence Of Sonication Parameters On The Morphology Of Nanocellulose Aerogels, Dexter Cox, Tim Kidd

Research in the Capitol

Nanocellulose is a renewable and biocompatible material that has a tensile strength similar to aluminum, is stiffer than Kevlar, and has a strength to weight ratio eight times that of stainless steel. There has been a range of studies on nanocellulose materials for potential use as a low-calorie food substitute, biomedical wound dressings, and as a structural component for buildings. Throughout this research experiment, nanocellulose aerogels of different mass compositions were created through a mechanical process using an ultrasonic processor with a titanium probe attachment. The purpose of this study was to develop a method that reduces the amount titanium …

First Principles Study Of Surface States And Tetragonal Distortion In Half Metals, Sam Prophet, Rishabh Dalal, Parashu Kharel, Pavel Lukashev

Research in the Capitol

Magnetic materials have been an increasingly popular area of research over the past decade. Half-metallic materials, in particular, are of specific interest due to their high degree of spin-polarization. One application of these materials that is of interest is spintronics. Electronics utilize the electric charge of electrons, while spintronics utilizes the spin of these electrons instead. Half-metals are very promising for this application, as they generally hold their magnetic properties up to high temperatures, and are relatively cheap compared to other metals. The following research has two goals for two different half metals. Firstly, identify the so called ‘surface properties’ …

Effect Of Fe Substitution On Structural, Magnetic And Electron-Transport Properties Of Half-Metallic Co2tisi, Juliana Herran, Parashu Kharel, Pavel Lukashev

Research in the Capitol

In recent years, research on magnetic materials has been one of the most technologically appealing developments in materials science. Among other applications, magnetic materials are essential components of data storage and information processing in computer hardware elements, such as hard drives and random access memories. Here, we present a theoretical study of structural, magnetic and electronic properties of ferrimagnetic Co₂Ti_1−xFe_xSi (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5), using density functional calculations. We show that the magnetic moment of Co₂Ti_1−xFe_xSi increases when Ti is substituted with Fe, consistent with experimental findings. …

Effect Of Structural Disorder On Magnetic Properties Of Mncrval, Juliana Herran, Rishabh Dalal, Paul Gray, Pavel Lukashev

Research in the Capitol

Operation of virtually any modern electronic device relies on magnetic materials. In particular, these materials are the cornerstone of data storage and processing in computer hardware elements, such as hard drives and random access memories. Here, we theoretically study an interplay between structural and magnetic properties of MnCrVAl, a material which recently attracted significant attention due to its rather exotic electronic structure. In particular, this material behaves either as an insulator or as a metal, depending on which “spin” (an intrinsic property of any fundamental particle) of the electron is considered. Using advanced computer simulation techniques (density functional calculations on …

Tio2 Coating Method For Nanocellulose Aerogel, Byron Fritch, Tim Kidd

Research in the Capitol

Titanium dioxide has been shown to be an effective catalyst for splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen gas. By increasing the surface area of the titanium dioxide catalyst, the rate of water splitting may increase. A possible method to increase the splitting of water uses a high surface area composite material formed by coating nanocellulose aerogels with titanium dioxide. Different coating methods were studied using titanium isopropoxide as the titanium dioxide source to create such composites. It was found that the most consistent titanium dioxide coatings were formed during a 12 hour titanium isopropoxide vapor bath. Other coating methods collapsed …