Statement of Research Interests:

We specialize in electron beam characterization of materials atomic and electronic structures and the study of structure and property relationships. Our research covers a wide range of materials, including electroceramics, complex oides, semiconductors and metals. We are especially interested in these materials with nanoscale interfaces where the structure leads to unique materials properties. One example of this is our study of oxide superlattices in collaboration with physicists here at University of Illinos and Argonne National Laboratory, where the precision control of molecular beam epitaxy is used to combine multiferroic materials in an artificial lattice structure. We are also interested nanostructures, especially these with unique structures such as nanotubes and nanoparticles with crytsallographic and non-crystallographic symmetries. We have developed and are continually developing characterization techniques to elucidate their atomic structure. A new research area we are developing is time-resolved electron crystallography using the pump-probe technique and reflection high energy electron diffraction. In this area, we are interested to explore new applications of time resolved electron diffraction for materials characterization.

Current research projects:

1) Structure and growth of nanoclusters and nanocrystals
2) Electron nanocrystallography
3) Atomic and electronic structure of complex oxide superlattices
4) Ultrafast electron diffraction

Research facilities:

1) JEOL2200FS with CEOS probe aberration Corrector and in-column Omega energy filter, 200 kV;
2) JEOL2010F with GIF and a precession electron diffraction system;
3) UHV e-beam evaporation system with RHEED and a UHV-Design indirect heating sample holder;
4) Ultrafast pulse laser (shared with Profs. Cahill and Averback) and custom built electron diffraction camera.

The electron microscopes are part of the user facility of Center for Microanalysis of Materials (http://cmm.mrl.uiuc.edu)