Research Experience

Experimental techniques: ultra-high vacuum; cryogenics; thin film synthesis (by molecular beam epitaxy, laser ablation, electron-beam evaporation, and sputtering), X-ray diffraction; optical spectroscopy (far-IR to UV, Raman, spectro-ellipsometry), ion scattering spectroscopy, transport measurements, device design, and testing. Theory: group theory, electron band structure, optical spectra, phonon spectra, vibronic coupling, numerical simulations of RHEED and XRD patterns and surface structure, cohesion, and structure of ionic crystals. Materials studied so far: conducting polymers (polyacetylene, poly-p-phenylene, polypyrrole, carbon nanotubes, cuprates, bismuthates, titanates, manganites, cobaltates, nickelates, tungstates, vanadates, ruthenates, borophene, Beryllene, VSe2, Fe(Se,Te), hydrides.