The innovation engine for new materials

Daniel Mukasa

Daniel Mukasa

Major: 

Physics

University: 

Oberlin College

Mentor(s): 

Kaveh Ahadi

Faculty Sponsor(s): 

Susanne Stemmer

Faculty Sponsor's Department(s): 

Materials

Project Title: 

Electron Transport in Thin Film Correlated Materials

Project Description: 

Correlated materials, being materials in which electron-electron interactions significantly affect electron transport, have gained much attention due to their potential applications within electronics.  Landau’s Fermi liquid model attempts to describe the effects of these interactions, but parameters including strain, carrier concentration, and defect concentration cause deviations from this model. Molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) is therefore ideal for testing this model, as these parameters can be controlled with great precision. In this study various correlated materials have been made via MBE and their electric properties are investigated. X-ray diffraction is used to verify the structure and lack of defects in each thin film and electric properties including carrier concentration, mobility and resistivity are obtained via Hall effect measurements. Each parameter is investigated to understand how they affect deviations from Fermi liquid theory and shed light onto the true mechanisms behind electron transport within correlated materials.