The School of Physics and Materials Engineering offers research opportunities for postgraduates in experimental and theoretical physics, as well as materials science, in both the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Engineering. A student enrolled for an MSc, MSc Preliminary or PhD degree works under the guidance of an assigned supervisor on an individual research project. All postgraduate students are expected to attend school colloquia and other research seminars.
Areas of identified research strength in the school are synchrotron science,
x-ray physics and imaging and condensed matter physics, often directed at the
development and characterisation of novel materials. The Centre for X-Ray
Physics and Imaging is a focal point for physics research in the school, with
links to x- ray researchers in CSIRO and at other universities. CXPI has a
central involvement in the new synchrotron facility to be built at Monash.
Research projects may be offered in the following areas:
Theoretical and experimental research on elastic and inelastic scattering of high-energy electrons from materials, with a view to the development of new techniques for material characterisation at the atomic scale. Specific topics include: the scattering of coherent electron beams with sub-nanometre diameter and its application to the study of nanostructured materials; analytical inversion of few beam scattering equations and the direct measurement of crystal structure factors from diffraction patterns; application of electron- phonon scattering to material characterisation.
Inelastic electron scattering in Si and GaAs. Propagation of waves in disordered systems, phase transitions from extended to localised states. Field theoretical studies in condensed matter. Theoretical models for nanostructures.
Particle cosmology, topological defects in cosmology and condensed matter systems, vortex dynamics in optics, high temperature superconductivity, Bose-Einstein condensates and related systems, geometric phases, topology on discrete lattices.
Pulsed and continuous-wave EPR studies of free radicals and transition metal ions in crystals, minerals, chemical complexes and biological materials. Theoretical studies of disordered and partially ordered systems. Electron spin echo envelope modulation, FT-EPR, 2-D EPR and other multiple pulse sequence techniques. Spin dynamics using time domain spectroscopy. Spin lattice relaxation of glasses.
Magnetism in disordered systems, including spin glass phases, frustration, disordered antiferromagnets and random fields. Measurements of magnetic susceptibility and magnetic neutron scattering. SQUID magnetometry, polarised neutron diffraction and spectroscopy with polarisation analysis are used to study the stability of spin glasses and low dimensional magnetic structures through measurements of magnetic correlations at the atomic level.
The magnetic and crystallographic properties of solids containing iron, rare earths or gold and their relation to materials development and mineral processing are studied. Areas of interest include adsorption of gold and other metals onto activated carbon and polyurethane foams, magnetic properties of invar and iron-nickel meteorites, exchange-spring magnets, martensite materials, layered magnetic materials, poorly crystalline iron oxide and related minerals, coal and coal products. Some studies utilise the unique multiple spectrum Mossbauer data acquisition systems developed in the department for imaging or time-dependent studies.
Charge transport and storage in polymeric dielectrics is studied using thermally stimulated conductivity and depolarisation current measurements. The spatial distribution of excess charge in dielectrics is mapped using the laser-induced pressure pulse and laser intensity modulation techniques. Computer simulation of charge transport in insulators containing traps with a distribution of charge trapping and release times.
Development and characterisation of novel nanostructured magnetic materials with a structural correlation length of about 10 nm. Emphasis is placed on nanocrystalline soft magnetic, nanocomposite hard magnetic and nanogranular spin-dependent magnetotransport systems.
The electronic, magnetic and structural properties of RF-magnetron sputtered thin films are characterised. Current materials under study include those exhibiting martensite transformations with shape-memory characteristics as well as materials suitable for photovoltaics, fuel cells and high temperature superconductors.
Studies of flux pinning in type II superconducting materials. Electromagnetic properties of C60-based materials. Thermal expansion and related properties for martensitic alloy systems. Studies of martensite interfaces using optical, scanning, tunnelling and atomic force microscopes. Dimensional stability of ceramics. Materials for hollow cathode applications.
X-ray and neutron diffraction studies of crystal structure. Residual stress measurements in engineering materials. Scanning microscopy and associated EDAX studies of materials.
Low energy x-ray transmission micro-tomography studies for the non- destructive evaluation of low atomic number materials, development of low-energy elastic scatter-computed tomography (CT) using synchrotron quality x-rays, high energy x-ray and gamma-ray CT system development for industrial materials such as ceramics and advanced materials. X-ray densitometry for moisture and density distribution studies in wood, strain measurements in materials using CT and image-warping methods.
Digital data representation, Discrete Radon transforms, image sampling and reconstruction. Automated feature extraction and classification in CT images. CT image reconstruction algorithm development, particularly for fan-beam and cone-beam systems. The design of optimal filters using mathematical morphology. Analysis of texture and edges in colour or multi-band images. Cellular automata for image processing.
Experimental and theoretical studies of x-ray physics and the interaction of x-rays with matter, including statistical dynamical diffraction theory and reciprocal space mapping, x-ray optics and detector development. Investigation of unusual diffraction and imaging techniques to characterise technologically important materials. Studies of fundamental properties of the complex diffraction amplitude of x-ray and synchrotron radiation. Development of novel theoretical and numerical formalisms for diffraction and imaging data analysis, including x-ray phase retrieval in one and two- dimensional cases. X-ray diffraction tomography, diffraction enhanced imaging, phase contrast imaging and phase sensitive tomography. Applications of synchrotron radiation to characterise optoelectronic nanostructures (quantum dots, wires and wells).
The school has a range of sophisticated research equipment. This includes: superconducting magnets producing fields up to 14 tesla, a variety of 4He and 3He cryostats, high-pressure low-temperature facilities, with a Koch 1410 helium liquefier to provide cryogenic fluids for the low temperature research. Mossbauer spectrometers, Varian CW and Bruker FT/CW electron paramagnetic resonance spectrometers, Quantum Dynamics 7 tesla SQUID magnetometer, Varian and Cary spectrophotometers. A 3D Atom Probe Field Ion Microscope, a High Resolution 200keV JEOL 2011 Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) with energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) detector, an Analytical 200keV Philips CM20 TEM with parallel electron energy loss (EEL) and EDX detector and a Philips EM420 TEM with EDX and EEL detectors. The only electron-sensitive image plate reader facility in Australia. A JEOL JSM6300F cold field emission gun scanning electron microscope, a JEOL JSM840A scanning electron microscope with EDX detector and electron backscatter detector. Preparation equipment for making electron-transparent specimens. Hitachi scanning electron microscope with a Kevex energy dispersive x-ray analysis unit, Scintag x-ray powder diffractometer with automated search-match capabilities. X-ray and gamma-ray computed tomography scanners, including a Hitachi CW1000 medical body scanner and an ultra- high resolution (0.01 arc sec.) triple-axis diffractometer equipped with eight different energy radiation sources and high resolution crystal optics. Precision magnetic susceptibility balances. Scanning probe microscopes, including atomic force and scanning tunnelling microscopy, two- and three-inch RF-magnetron sputter thin film deposition systems.
The department has supporting facilities for materials preparation, mechanical and electronics workshops, computing support with access to the VPAC/APAC supercomputer facility. Postgraduate students also have extensive access to the reactor HIFAR at Lucas Heights to use the neutron scattering instruments, including LONGPOL. Overseas neutron research facilities include the Institut Laue Langevin in France, the Berlin Neutron Scattering Centre and the ISIS spallation source in England. Overseas x- ray research facilities include access, through the Australian Synchrotron Research Program, to the Photon Factory in Japan, the Advanced Photon Source in USA, the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in France, Daresbury in the UK and SPring-8 in Japan.
Monash University is situated close to a number of established high- technology industries. There are frequent opportunities for projects that arise from collaborative work of staff members with industrial organisations. These projects are supported by the facilities and expertise of the department, in addition to the infrastructure provided through the collaborating industrial partner.
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