The acquisition of a Physical Property Measurement System provides a multi-user platform for multidisciplinary materials research at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The work made possible by this unique and robust instrument enables on-site multidisciplinary research in materials that will be transformative for the region?s research and educational capacity. The instrumentation will be used for fundamental studies; new-materials design; natural and man-made materials characterization; and energy-harvesting materials development. This instrument acquisition enhances several existing research programs, provides additional projects for doctoral students in the new Earth and Energy Science program at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and creates the base for summer research sessions for underexposed, underrepresented high school students from the local region. The activities are envisioned to make a marked impact in the development of a technologically well-trained and inclusive workforce.
The acquisition of a DynaCool Physical Property Measurement System provides a multi-user platform for multidisciplinary materials research at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The instrument employs closed-loop gas circulation with low-noise non-moving-part technology, with an open architecture that allows for its capabilities to be enhanced with non-standard probes. The platform?s set of adaptable tools is to be used for fundamental studies; new-materials design; natural and man-made materials characterization; energy-storage/harvesting materials development; as well as hypothesis validation. The probes acquired or developed in-house for the cryostat provide measurements of magnetic, elastic, electric, and thermal properties for a wide range of solids. The temperature and magnetic-field dependence of the measured properties are used to uncover and understand lattice dynamics, lattice-electron-moment coupling, or energy interplay within the material studied. Specific activities planned are in the areas of (1) exotic phenomena in magnetism; (2) novel energy-efficient logic and data-storage technologies; (3) origin and decomposition of magnetic signals in rocks; (4) metal additive-manufacturing (AM) qualification and model validation; (5) magnetoresistance tuning in thin films; (6) systematic data collection for geological surveys and new AM-materials databases; (7) magnetoelastic coupling in magnetically-frustrated thermoelectrics.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
