Current Areas of Research

Optically Pumped Nuclear Spin Polarizer

Design, develop & demonstrate new method to dramatically increase NMR sensitivity, using the non equilibrium polarization generated in optically pumped semiconductors to increase sensitivity at the surface of other materials.

NMR of Semiconductors

Quadrupolar nuclei in the important semiconductor gallium nitride and related materials are being used to study static (structural, magnetic) and dynamical effects of dopants and defects.

Small Metal Particles

Solid state NMR methods are used to probe the structure and stability of energetic metal nanoparticles and novel nanocatalysts with potential applications in fuel cells.

Structure and Property Relationships

Present interests include structure and dynamics of polymers, biopolymers including bacterial (photo)reaction centers, nanocomposites, electronic materials, and surface species.

Magnetic Resonance for Nondestructive Evaluation, Testing, and Detection

We are exploring NMR for use in the nondestructive evaluation of materials and nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) techniques for determining the spatial distribution and total nitrogen content of materials.