These rooms host 4 box furnaces for quartz-encapsulated growths up to 1250°C, 3 vertical tube furnaces for growths up 1500°C in Argon atmosphere, and an arc-melt furnace for sample preparation and welding at above 2000°C. There is also a glass workbench for sealing samples and reagents in quartz or Pyrex tubes, under vacuum or Argon atmosphere. Our stock list of reagents at any given time includes about two-thirds of the periodic table in purified elemental form, plus a variety of compounds such as oxides and carbonates, and all the necessary accessories for sample growths such as balances, tantalum tubes, and crucibles of many different types.

Measurement Labs and Offices
Physics Hall Addition - ISU

The group occupies/shares about half of the basement level in the Physics Hall Addition, from Rooms A09 to A21. These rooms comprise 5 Laboratories, plus 3 offices for post-docs and graduate students. The main activities here are sample preparation and characterization through experiments using the measurement systems described below. Offices and Labs have a total of 5 experiment control computers, plus a network of 9 other computers with complete hardware/software for data processing/analysis/publishing.

The group has access to three Quantum Design MPMS-5/MPMS-7 SQUID magnetometers, capable of measuring magnetic moments between ~10^-7 and 1.25 emu, in the temperature range 1.8 K < T < 400 K, and field range -70 kOe < H < +70 kOe. Two of these SQUIDS are equipped with Linear Research (LR-400, LR-700) Resistance Bridges controlled in EDC mode by the MPMS software, which allow measurements of four-probe resistivity under those same temperature/field ranges. Ames Laboratory has its own cryogenic facility which supplies these machines with liquid Helium and Nitrogen.

Physical Properties Measurement Systems
Rooms A11 Physics and 41 Wilhelm Hall

The group has full access to a Quantum Design PPMS, capable of measuring DC & AC susceptibility, DC & AC resistivity, Hall effect, magnetic torque and specific heat. The system includes a rotator insert for angle dependent measurements, a ³He refrigerator insert capable of cooling down to 0.35 K, and the field range is -140 kOe < H < +140 kOe. We also have shared access to a second PPMS in Wilhelm Hall.

As-grown samples often need to be cleaned, polished and/or cut into specific sizes and shapes before measuring. To carry out these procedures we have an assortment of specialized equipment such as wire saw, diamond wheel saw, automatic polisher, manual polisher, ultrasonic cleaner, hydraulic press, and a variety of acids and solvents at our disposal.

Sample Mounting Workbench
Room A20 Physics

Here is where we make use of microscopes, balance, soldering equipment and accessories, platinum wires, silver epoxies, silver paints, greases, waxes, multimeters, tweezers, scalpels, vials and everything else required to mount a sample in the proper probe for each measurement system.

A handy asset in any research laboratory, around which many good ideas are born amidst informal discussions. We own a Saeco Vienna DeLuxe model SUP 018 CR espresso machine for fresh-ground coffee bean espressos, with 1.7 liter water capacity, 350 grams coffee bean capacity, 13-15 bar pump pressure, and double boiler. We also have two backup Proctor-Silex drip coffee machines in case we run out of beans, and a gravity powered, one-button, centrifugally activated M&M dispenser.

Powder X-ray Diffractometer
Room A09 Physics

Desktop Rigaku Miniflex X-ray diffractometer. Has six-position sample changer and sample spinner. Cute and useful toy for phase identification and lattice parameters determination.