2014 NSF Annual Report_Jiandi Zhang

Color convention: Black text: From NSF. Blue text: Our comments/suggestions.

The text for the report (taken from the sections below) will be copied and pasted into text boxes on research.gov. Data fields and text entry boxes support only ASCII characters: Greek letters, mathematical equations, images, and so-called “rich” text (including bold, italic, underline, superscript, subscript, strikethrough, etc.) are not supported.

Report from: ______SD1_____ (SD1, SD2, SD3, CTCI, EEWD, BoR)

1.  Accomplishments

1.1.  What are the major goals of the project?

The goal of this part of research is to reveal the nature of metal to nonmetal crossover transition emerging in the ultra thin films of metallic oxide materials such as SrVO3, LaNiO3 and doped managnites.

1.2.  What was accomplished under these goals?

1.2.1.  Major activities

1)  Oxide thin film growth with varying different growth conditions by using a state-of-the –art laser MBE system.

2)  In-situ characterization of lattice structure, composition, and transport properties.

3)  Research and education training of graduate students.

1.2.2.  Specific Objectives

To figure out the primary driving force for the nonmetallic behavior emerged in the ultra thin films of metallic oxide materials as reducing film thickness.

1.2.3.  Significant Results

These may include research accomplishments, results from seed funding and emerging areas, and the leveraging of NSF programs for the current project year.

(See attached pdf/ppt files)

1.2.4.  Key Outcomes or other Accomplishments

N/A

1.3.  What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?

Byexploiting our uniquematerial growth and several in- and ex-situ advanced characterizations as well as vacuum technology,we haveprovided opportunity for training and professional development for our graduate and undergraduate students. Our integrated facilities for both novel materials growth with laser-MBE and characterization with STM, LEED, AR-XPS, ARPES, PPMS, etc., provide an excellent combination to educate and train both undergraduates and graduates in physics and materials science. Both graduate and undergraduate students are taking advantage of the project by participating the research.

Gaomin Wang, a graduate student, now is working her thesis related to this project.

1.4.  How have the results been disseminated to the communities of interest?

Describe how the results have been disseminated to communities of interest. Include any outreach activities that have been undertaken to research members of communities who are not usually aware of these research activities, for the purpose of enhancing public understanding and increasing interest in learning and careers in science, technology, and the humanities.

Summarize the numbers of publications, conference proceedings, presentations, etc. made for each research theme during the reporting period. Include external engagement where appropriate

N/A

1.5.  What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?

The main goal is to reveal how disorder due to such as oxygen vacancies to results the metal to nonmetal transition through localization effect.

2.  Impact – What is the impact of the project? How has it contributed?

The fundamental impact is to the understanding of nonmetallic behavior of metallic oxide materials in reduced dimensionality and broken symmetry. The technological impact will be in the next generation of oxide electronic devices

2.1.  What is the impact on the development of the principal discipline(s) of the project?

The major contributions are in the field of materials physics and surface physics.

2.2.  What is the impact on other disciplines?

Much of our work described in the Research and Education Sections has broad impact on other disciplines. In essence we are studying the physical properties at the surface/interfaces of transition-metal oxide materials. Our studies have revealed the new physical properties with broken symmetry or reduced dimensionality. the obvious impact on other disciplines include chemistry, biology, and materials engineering.

2.3.  What is the impact on the development of human resources?

The project has great impact on the education and human development in the area of condensed matter, materials science and engineering. The contributions include the research and education training to our graduate and undergraduate students.

2.4.  What is the impact on physical resources that form infrastructure?

Nothing to report.

2.5.  What is the impact on institutional resources that form infrastructure?

The project helps to enhance our research capability on the combination of materials fabrication and characterization.

2.6.  What is the impact on information resources that form infrastructure?

The project helps to develop a methodology on artificial materials growth and characterization.

2.7.  What is the impact on technology transfer?

Correlated electron systems promise to change the way we think about materials and even impact other desciplines. The new physical properties revealed in this project will have impact on advanced technological applications such as correlated electron devices.

Correlated electron devices will involve the fabrication of thin films, superstructures and junctions. Virtually all electronic devices began with an understanding of interface barrier formation, electronic/magnetic structure, and control. “The interface is the device”. Incorporating the diversity of physical properties of correlated electron materials into devices needs to begin with a basic understanding. Knowledge of the surface/interface properties as well as the effects derived from broken symmetry and reduced dimensionality is vital if these devices are to be made to work at optimized functionality.

2.8.  What is the impact on society beyond science and technology?

We are contributing the most valuable resource for the advancement of Science and Technology in the United States, well trained young scientists at the undergraduate, graduate, and postdoc levels. The major impact of this project is on the advanced education and research training of students at LSU. This grant provided the opportunity recruiting minority students such as Dalgis Mesa to pursuit their advanced degrees in Materials Physics.

This support also helped the Materials Physics Group at LSU building up a unique materials science education and educational outreach program. This program addresses modern materials science education at the pre-college and college levels to aggressively encourage and promote the study of physics in Baton Rouge area, an region with large population of minority.