Neutron scattering is one of the principal experimental tools in condensed matter physics. It provides unique information about the way atoms and spins are arranged and move in solids and liquids. For functional materials, such as magnets, ferroelectrics, thermoelectrics and superconductors, neutron scattering can help elucidate the origins of these fascinating properties.
Some of the most exciting novel materials that could lead to transformational technologies are those where useful macroscopic properties originate from explicitly quantum effects. Such materials have the potential to result in new, more energy efficient technologies for next generation electronic devices. Many of the most technologically interesting materials exhibit couplings of multiple degrees of freedom. Prime examples include multiferroic or spintronics systems based on metals, oxides, or organics which have a range of potential applications including magnetic field sensors, low power memory modules, high density storage devices, and quantum computing. These materials are important components of the infrastructure for energy technologies at all levels.
Researchers
Neutron Scattering Scientist
ORNL Neutron Scattering Division
Professor
UT Department of Chemistry
Associate Research Professor
UT Department of Materials Science & Engineering
Distinguished Scientist/Professor
UT Department of Physics & Astronomy
UT Department of Materials Science & Engineering
ORNL Physical Sciences Division
Distinguished R&D Staff
Joint Faculty Professor
ORNL Neutron Scattering Division
UT Department of Physics & Astronomy
Professor
UT Department of Chemistry
John Fisher Professor & Ivan Racheff Chair of Excellence
UT Department of Materials Science & Engineering
R&D Associate
ORNL Physical Sciences Division
Recent Highlights
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Rare-Earth MOFs for Applications of Acid-gas Binding and Sensing
This study demonstrates a potential kinetic route to develop highly stable and selective MOFs for the adsorption of caustic acid gas species. Continue Reading →
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Going With the Flow
Anyone who has ever flown is probably familiar with the concept of turbulence. Yet understanding turbulent flow—how it develops, its intensity, and its properties—remains somewhat elusive. UT’s physicists have helped develop a new technique using excimers created by neutron capture to observe turbulence around macroscopic objects (an airplane, for example, or a ship). Their technique… Continue Reading →
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UT-ORNL Researchers Develop New Radiation-Resistant Material
Nuclear power accounts for roughly 20 percent of the electricity produced in the US, according to the World Nuclear Association. Thanks to the presence of the Tennessee Valley Authority, that number is even higher in the region it serves, with a third of TVA customers relying on nuclear energy. Continue Reading →