Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (EELS) is a powerful analytic technique that allows the study of materials properties with atomic resolution. While the complementary technique of energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS/EDX) is able to provide information about atomic composition, EELS is further able to identify the electronic structure (valency, hybridization). Additionally, the energy resolution on the order of 1 eV or less allows for the investigation of phenomena such as plasmons and band gaps. This seminar will be focused on the EELS capabilities available using the Spectra 300 STEM in the Notre Dame Integrated Imaging Facility (NDIIF).
Alex Sheardy is currently a Postdoctoral Scholar with Dr. Alexander Mukasyan as part of the Notre Dame Integrated Imaging Facility (NDIIF). While originally from Pennsylvania, Alex obtained a B.S. and M.S. in Chemistry from the University of Texas at Dallas and the University of California - Berkeley, respectively, before getting his Ph.D. in Nanoscience from the University of North Carolina - Greensboro. Between graduating and starting at Notre Dame, Alex spent two years teaching in the Chemistry department at Texas Woman's University. Alex's research interests include using combinations of experimental and theoretical techniques to probe the optical properties of various nanomaterials. This includes nanoparticle synthesis, characterization, and modeling using density functional theory.
Please Register here to attend Electronic Properties at the Atomic Scale Lecture.