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Advanced Research Computing, a division of ITS, provides access to and support for advanced computing resources. ARC facilitates new and more powerful approaches to research challenges in fields ranging from physics to linguistics, and from engineering to medicine.

Location: Singh Center For Nanotechnology
Coordinator: Prof. Robert W. Carpick
Contact Person(s):
Matthew Brukman (microscope) [email protected]
Ritesh Agarwal (ultrafast laser) [email protected]

With matching support from LRSM and other sources, Penn received a $630,000 NSF MRI grant in 2009 to acquire a multifunctional nanoprobe microscope for imaging and spectroscopy of materials. The system combines atomic force microscopy (AFM), near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) and confocal Raman microscopy in a single, multifunctional instrument to enable a broad and powerful array of micro- and nanoscale microscopy and spectroscopy studies. The light sources for the NSOM and Raman components involves a standard laser source as well as a compact, turnkey tunable laser. This tunable laser provides two important capabilities: (1) tunable output wavelength from 350 – 1080 nm, for a broad range of spectroscopy experiments; and (2) femtosecond operation for time-resolved measurements of dynamic nanoscale phenomena. It can function in combination with the microscope for custom spectromicroscopy experiments, but can also be used as a stand-alone laser source for powerful spectroscopy studies of nanostructures and other materials when not needed for microscopy studies, thus maximizing its use. This shared instrumentation is designated as a SEF within the LRSM. The tunable laser along with significant supporting optics was purchased from Coherent. It has been installed and integrated with an existing spectroscopy platform for versatile experimentation. The system is functioning and available for use. It is currently installed in a lab within the Singh Center for Nanotechnology, directly across the hall from the instruments in the NanoCharacterization Facility, another LRSM SEF. The laboratory was specifically designed to accommodate this instrumentation. The lab includes vibration and EMI isolation, low and quiet air flow, and enhanced temperature control all to enhance the performance of this instrumentation. Several groups are making use of the instrumentation on an ongoing basis. This instrumentation is co-supported by the Singh Center for Nanotechnology, which is supported by the NSF National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure Program under grant NNCI-2025608.

The Electronic Materials and Nanostructures Laboratory (EMNLAB) is a group within the physical electronics branch of Electrical Engineering at The Ohio State University. The group focuses on using a wide array of analysis, processing, and growth techniques to investigate the surface, interface, and ultrathin film properties of semiconductors. The group is led by Dr. Brillson and consists of two full-size laboratories that house some of the latest surface analysis equipment.

The Electron Probe Instrumentation Center (EPIC) EPIC facility offers a wide range of electron microscopy (both transmission and scanning), accessory instrumentation, and expertise to the scientific and engineering community through education, collaboration, and service. The laboratory provides facilities for the preparation and examination of many types of bulk and thin specimens (foils/films), fine particles, and replicas, including biological materials, by transmission and scanning electron microscopy.

Collectively, the Electron Probe Instrumentation Center (EPIC) offers instrumentation, techniques, and expertise for all aspects of microstructure materials. Detailed information about surface morphology, size and shape analysis, local chemistry, crystallography, and texture can be obtained with the scanning electron microscopes (SEM). The SEM facility has four SEMs with digital image acquisition, including three equipped with field emission gun (FEG), and several have EDS systems. The transmission electron microscopes (TEM) allow researchers to probe the crystal structure, defects, local chemistry, electronic structure, and related information at the nanometer or less length scale. The TEM facility currently has three TEMs, one cold field emission gun (cFEG) (HF2000), one Schottky field emission gun (JEM2100F), and one thermal emission gun (H8100). All three microscopes are equipped with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) system for local chemistry analysis; two are equipped with Gatan Imaging Filter (GIF) for spectral imaging and EELS analysis. Both FEG microscopes are equipped with STEM detectors. The JEOL JEM2100F FEG TEM/STEM has sub 0.2nm probe capability, equipped with high-angle annular dark field (HAADF) detector, which gives atomic resolution of Z-contrast imaging of STEM.

Both SEM and TEM facilities are equipped with specialized specimen stages for dynamic studies involving deformation, fracture, current transport, applied electrical and magnetic fields, and temperature variation from -184 ° C to 1000 ° C. The diversity and quality of SEM and TEM instrumentation, along with the numerous analytical accessories, makes EPIC one of the most advanced laboratories in the country.

Hybrid Molecular Design & Synthesis Laboratories include synthetic molecular materials design and synthesis facilities. These are molecules that have predicted structures and functional properties (e.g., photonics). The laboratories are located in Bagley 195 (Xia), Bagley 13B (Ginger) and Wilcox 249 & Roberts 209 (Jen). Contact Dr. Hanson Fong for details.

The Terahertz Facility of the Institute of Terahertz Science and Technology (ITST), partnering with the MRL through the Materials Research Facilities Network (MRFN), offers a wide range of one-of-a-kind and state of the art instrumentations. The instrumental capabilities commonly rely on radiation frequencies at the heart of the electromagnetic spectrum in the terahertz (THz) and sub-terahertz range. While this range offers tremendous new opportunities for the study of synthetic and biological materials in solution and solid state, it represents an underutilized spectroscopic regime, given the sparsity of high performance THz sources available. The Terahertz facility uniquely closes the gap with the UCSB Free Electron Lasers (FELs) covering 0.1-4.8 THz at kW power, a frequency-domain vector network analyzer covering 0.07-0.7 THz at lower power, two time-domain spectrometers one of which is a video-rate time-domain vector spectrometer covering 0.3-3 THz, a pulsed electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrometer at 0.24 Tesla powered by a low power source, as well as the highest power source available for EPR to date, the UCSB FELs.

For information regarding the instruments available and their recharge costs, please visit: http://www.itst.ucsb.edu

Facility Director:	sherwin [at] physics [dot] ucsb [dot] edu (Professor Mark Sherwin)
Facility Manager:	david [at] itst [dot] ucsb [dot] edu (David Enyeart)
Location:	Broida Hall 1362, 1380a, 1357

NPEP, an initiative by Northwestern University, provides comprehensive liberal arts education to incarcerated students in Illinois, partnering with Oakton Community College to enhance academic engagement and social impact.

The CMI MRSEC REU promotes student participation in materials science research, collaborating with UM programs, focusing on Semiconductors, 2D Materials, and Sustainable Polymers over a 10-week period.

The UW MEM·C Summer REU program aims to provide undergraduate students with exposure to career pathways in materials and energy research through hands-on experience.