We are a part of the Low Dimensional Materials by Design group, Condensed Matter Sciences Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The focus of our research is synthesis and characterization of the physics and chemistry of transition metal oxide surfaces. Surfaces of these materials exhibit a rich variety of phenomena due to the interplay of dimensional confinement effects and correlated electron behavior.  Our philosophy is that these surfaces our best studied in vacuum, without interaction with the complex atomosphere.  Our Nano Transport system combines facilities for laser MBE growth in high pressure ozone and such characterization tools as RHEED, XPS, AES, and LEED. We are expecting the system to be complemented by in-situ variable temperature SPM, MOKE, and HREELS.

NanoTransport System

The second direction of our research is the development of Scanning Probe Microscopy techniques for  studies of atomic and electronic structure, electromechanical and transport properties at nanoscale dimensions. This involves both the development of new SPM techniques as well as detailed analysis of image formation mechanisms. Analysis is a crucial step required to establish SPM as a quantitative  tool accessing physical properties of materials on the nanoscale, beyond the limitations of a purely imaging technique.  Depending on the phenomenon being probed (impedance, piezoresponse, capacitance, potential, etc) this can be a very complex task that requires experience in virtually all aspects of physics ranging from continuum mechanics and classical electrostatics to first principle atomistic calculations. We are collaborating with outstanding theorists on the density functional theory of Scanning Tunneling Microscopy on transitional metal oxides, Scanning Gate Microscopy on carbon nanotubes and other 1D structures, and on the nano-electromechanics of piezoelectric indentation in Piezoresponse Force Microscopy.

Stripe ordering on  Sr2RuO4 surface

This page was last updated February 14, 2004