Project description

Electron diffuse scattering from nanometer-sized defects

(supervisor: Zhongfu Zhou)

Nature of project: theory, data analysis

Available to full-time physicists .

Best suited to students on these degree schemes:

• Physics

Project description and methodology

A new experimental technique has been developed by for characterizing nanometer-sized defects in the electron microscope by collecting elastic diffuse scattering patterns in the vicinity of Bragg reflections[1]. A dynamical model of electron elastic diffuse scattering from dislocations of nanometer size has been developed [2], and a simple expression of kinematical electron/X-ray diffuse scattering from planar dislocation and infinitesimal dislocation loops is also derived [2,3]. This method shows great potential of electron diffuse scattering in characterizing very individual nano defects which cannot be visualized using other techniques [4]. The student will be expected to further develop the methodology.[1] M. A. Kirk, R. S. Davidson, M. L. Jenkins and R. D. Twesten (2005), Measurement of Diffuse Electron Scattering by Single Nanometer-sized Defects in Gold, Phil. Mag. 85, 497[2] Z. Zhou (2005) , Electron Microscopy and Elastic Diffuse Scattering of Nanoclusters, D.Phil. thesis, University of Oxford.[3] Z. Zhou, A. P. Sutton, S. L. Dudarev, M. L. Jenkins and M. A. Kirk (2005), Proc. Roy.. Soc. A, 461, 3935.[4] M. A. Kirk, M. L. Jenkins, Z. Zhou, R. D. Twesten, A. P. Sutton, S. L. Dudarev and R. S. Davidson (2006) Phil. Mag., 86, 4797.      [edit]      [add Yr4]

Novelty, degree of difficulty and amount of assistance required

The student is expected to understand the theories of electron diffuse scattering in the first stage, then to further develop the methods. Small amount of programing using FORTRAN might be necessary.      [edit]

Resources required

A desk computer (running Linux) is necessary. The student also needs access to computing resources, the computing cluster "Holly" of IMAPS.      [edit]

Project milestones and deliverables (including timescale)

Initial literature for students