Another project deals with surface and thin film analysis. A standard Rutherford backscattering chamber is equipped for channeling studies. This chamber is mainly used to characterize single crystal samples containing implanted or diffused impurities or dopants. On another beam line, an ultra-high vacuum chamber, also equipped for channeling, is used for surface studies. We measure the atomic positions of atoms adsorbed on clean surfaces and the influence of the substrate structure and temperature on the overlayer growth.
Facilities exist for both fabrication and measurement of devices on nano-meter scale.
In addition, electron tunneling techniques are used to probe the density of states of high-Tc and heavy fermion superconductors. G.R. Stewart Metals physics has seen a number of surprises in the last ten years, not the least of which was the discovery of superconductivity in a new class of high T c materials. These new materials are characterized by specific heat, resistivity and magnetic susceptibility measurements from 0.3 to 300 K and in fields to 16.0 Tesla. Also, numerous UF and outside collaborators provide materials of interest and additional measurement support. The explanation or even partial elucidation of both the unusual normal and superconducting properties remains an elusive goal of great current interest.