Current work is largely in the area of solid-state
electronic and ionic conducting materials, and attempts to achieve
useful optical and electronic properties through an understanding of
the fundamental contributing effects. An example is the attempt to
obtain nearly-free-electron (metallic) behavior in metal oxide
bronzes and other intercalation compounds, in both bulk and
thin-film materials. Synthesis of new materials and the
characterization of their electronic, structural, and transport
properties is the major goal of the work. To this end, we use
optical spectroscopic (UV-VIS, NIR, IR) and magnetic measurements to
probe electronic ground state structures, single crystal and powder
X-ray diffraction to investigate crystallography and conductivity,
Hall-effect measurements to probe electronic transport, and
electrochemical means to investigate thermodynamic properties and
kinetics of ionic motion. Extensive interaction with physicists and
engineers of the Tufts Electro-Optics Technology Center is
characteristic of this research.
