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MATERIALS PHYSICS RESEARCH INSTITUTE WITS UNIVERSITY Materials research in a country whose main economy is based on ….Minerals!!! Some History… The establishment of the CSIR ~1950. Prof. Nabarro comes to South Africa – Wits The present Materials Physics Research Institute …Prof FRN Nabarro as Director. ….` originally the mechanical properties of metals, crystallography and electron microscopy, expanded to encompass nuclear magnetic and electron spin resonance, low temperature physics, optical spectroscopy and Mössbauer spectroscopy. Theoretical solid state physics…. New developments which included ultra-low temperature physics, Brillouin and Raman laser spectroscopy and photoluminescence, theoretical studies of phonons and ultrasound, computational physics, non-equilibrium thermodynamics, magnetism, high pressure physics and …nano-materials. Nuclear Sciences and Ion Beam Analysis (Channeling, RBS, PIXE, ERDA, TDPAD, NRA) – Ion Implantation – Diamond Physics Materials Science and Engineering has been identified as a University Research Thrust and Materials Science as a Faculty of Science Research Thrust. Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Strong Materials Members of the MPRI: Prof. S. Bhattacharyya Prof. J.D. Comins FRSSAf MASSAf Prof. T. Derry Dr. R. M. Erasmus Prof. A.G. Every FRSSAf MASSAf Prof. J M Keartland Dr B A Mathe Dr M Mujaji Prof. D Naidoo Dr S.R. Naidoo Prof. E Sideras-Haddad (Director) Dr Daniel Wamwangi Associates: Professor M J R Hoch Profesor D S McLachlan Dr Z Chiguvare Dr S Shrivastava Dr B. Mwakikunga (CSIR) FRSSAf MASSAf FRSSAf MPRI Research Activities •Electronic Structure •Phase Transitions in Solids •Magnetic Properties •Transport properties (at millikelvin temperatures and high magnetic field and frequencies) •Elastic properties •Dynamic properties •Optical properties •Structure and Defects in Solids •Metallic Corrosion •Nanoscale Physics (nano-electronics, growth of nano-materials) •Thin film preparation and Crystal growth •Dielectric properties of composites •Crystal dislocations •Extended non-equilibrium thermodynamics •Interfaces and Interfacial Segregation in Solids •Mechanical Properties – fracture, hardness, elastic-plastic properties •Diamond Physics •Theoretical studies of phonons and ultrasound 5-Years Review: 2010-2014 165 International Publications in DoE Recognised Journals MSc Students PhD Students Total Postgraduate Students: 24 28 52 Experimental Facilities at the MPRI Prof S Bhattacharyya Equipment for Quantum Transport measurements Cryogen-free completely automated physical property measurement system Experiments and Research Facilities: (i) Transport property measurements (Cryogenic VTI) 350 K - 0.3 K, and field up to 12 T (ii) Synthesis of nanocrystalline diamond films (Hot-filament CVD), multilayered carbon thin films, carbon nanotubes and nanowires by pulsed laser ablation assisted CVD (iii) Characterization of Magnetic properties in low-dimensional carbon 0-12 T (VSM) (iv) Impedance measurement up to 67 GHz in the temperature range 400 K to 4 K and magnetic fields up to 3 T (v) Microscopy/spectroscopy (SEM/AFM/STM/Optical/Raman) (vi) Combined SEM and AFM study (vii) Fabrication of nanoelectronic devices by e-beam lithography (viii) Nano-manipulation and in situ transport property measurements Prof J D Comins – R. Erasmus Raman and Photoluminescence Spectroscopy •Lasers: S-P 8W argon ion laser; S-P 5W Krypton ion laser; S-P Tunable dye laser pumped by S-P 15W argon ion laser. •Detectors: Liquid nitrogen cooled CCD; photomultiplier. •Confocal Raman microscope with a computer controlled scanning stage for 2- and 3-D regions. •Miniature low and high temperature microscope stages •Furnace and low temperature cryostat.(4 - 1800 K) •Electrochemical cell for temperature dependent corrosion studies with insitu Raman studies. •Diamond anvil cell for high pressure studies. Prof. D. Comins – B. Mathe Brillouin Scattering Spectroscopy Brillouin laser light scattering determines the elastic properties of materials in bulk form, thin films and coatings as a function of temperature, pressure, micro-structure, composition strain. In order to determine the frequency spectrum of the scattered light, a high resolution and contrast pass interferometer is used. The high precision interferometer mirrors are electronically stabilised on an electronically controlled antivibration stage. Surface Brillouin scattering studies at high pressure have been carried out using a gem-anvil cell Spectrophotometer Cary 500 double beam spectrophotometer. Wavelength range 185 nm to 3 μm. Studies of optical absorption, specular and diffuse reflectance of materials. Studies of defects as a function of temperature using special cryostats and heating stages. Deena Naidoo: Mössbauer Spectroscopy 57Fe and 197Au (gold) Mössbauer spectroscopy. Cryogenic facilities for Mössbauer spectroscopy experiments down to 4 K. ISOLDE - CERN Beamline (57Mn+/119In* ions) Implantation Chamber Mössbauer Drive A beam of radioactive 57Mn+ ions (half-life = 1.5 min) is produced at ISOLDE using 1.4 GeV proton-induced fission in a UC2 target. Beams of 57Mn+ are accelerated to between 40 and 60 keV and implanted into the samples. Dr. J. Keartland: Magnetic resonance spectrometers: EPR and NMR Bruker Electron Magnetic Resonance Spectrometer operable in both Continuous Wave and Pulsed modes. A Continuous Flow Cryostat enables experiments to be done in the range 2 K to 300 K. The spectrometer is being used to characterize diamonds and nanomaterials. Pulsed Nuclear Magnetic/Quadrupole Resonance (NMR/NQR) Spectrometer. Frequency range: 1 MHz to 200 MHz. Used to probe materials with a large range of nuclei. In the picture shown it is operating in zero field mode (a Nuclear Quadrupole Experiment). A continuous flow cryostat allows for low temperature investigations. Dr Marjorie Mujaji Equipment for site-selective laser spectroscopy - 8 K closed cycle cryostat - dye laser range 630 – 660 nm with DCM dye - double-grating scanning spectrometer 350 – 900 nm - 15W argon ion laser - cooled photon counter and photon counting electronics Atomic Force Microscopy / Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Various techniques are available with these two instruments: (i) Atomic force microscope (ii) Scanning tunnelling microscope (iii) Lateral force microscope (iv) Force modulation and Phase modulation microscope (v) Magnetic force microscope (vi) Electric-field gradient microscope (vii) Scanning capacitance microscope ACCELERATOR MASS SPECTROMETRY - AMS Measurements of isotopic ratios As low as …. 10-15 !!! 10Be, 14C, 27Al, 36Cl, 41Ca …..Actinides Ion Implantation iThemba LABS / WITS • The future of materials research is unlimited: New terrific opportunities in novel materials enabled by our recent ability to manipulate matter at the atomic and molecular scales. • The birth of nanomaterials and nanoscience • This size scale, which is about the same as that of biological structures, opens up a whole new world at the interface of materials and life sciences. MRAM chips represent one class of spintronics, in which the spins of large numbers of electrons are aligned the same way, as with a collection of toy tops all spinning clockwise on the floor. These so-called spin-polarized electrons typically flow through some part of the device, forming a spin-polarized current like a polarized beam of light. A second class of spintronics: Quantum Spintronics, manipulation of individual electrons to exploit the quantum properties of spin. Quantum Spintronics could provide a practical way to carry out quantum information processing, which replaces the definite 0s and 1s of ordinary computing with quantum bits, or qubits, capable of being 0 and 1 simultaneously, a condition called a quantum superposition.