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This powerful new facility was established under the support of the W. M. Keck Foundation. Combinatorial laser molecular MBE in the Keck Laboratory is used to make thin films of complex magnetic oxides. Materials are synthesized by atomic layer-by-layer deposition processes. The RHEED (reflection of high energy electron diffraction) oscillation is used to monitor the construction of materials unitcell by unitcell during the deposition. The combinatorial approach allows us to systematically fine tune the composition and process parameters of various thin film materials of interest. A state-of-the-art microwave microscope is being developed to provide measurement capabilities for various physical properties as well as imaging of materials at nanometer level. This facility is located in the new Jeong H. Kim Engineering and Applied Science Building; a virtual tour of the facility is available online. The Keck Laboratory is operated jointly with the Department of Material Science and Engineering as part of the Maryland Center for Integrated Nanoscale Science and Engineering.

This laboratory performs pioneering research into polymer structure and dynamics using the full array of modern computational methods (Monte Carlo, molecular dynamics, Brownian dynamics, various numerical procedures for solving nonlinear differential equations, etc.). The current simulations deal with pattern recognition by macromolecules, complex fluids, frustrated liquid crystals by confinement, kinetics of phase separation in polymer systems, and dynamics of polyelectrolytes in topologically controlled media with external fields. The shift in computational focus, as localized access to powerful workstations superseded remote access to supercomputers, has resulted in this laboratory's acquisition of its own set of computers. This includes five Digital DEC Alpha stations, two Silicon Graphics workstations and one Digital DEC Alpha server, which is a high performance processing unit. This array allows detailed atomistic computations of specific polymers.

MRSEC funds a computer facility under the supervision of Dr. Andre Melcuk. Resources available to the PSE community include a computer lab for first year students, and a document room for printing needs. The first year students' lab can house up to 25 students and contains 11 computers, a network printer and a photocopier. The document room contains a large-format HP Deisgnjet 2500CP printer, an HP Laserjet 4550 color printer, 1 Mac and 1 PC, an assrotment of graphics and presentation software, scanners, a CD-RW drive, and basic video editing hardware and software. The large-format HP 2500CP printer can print on media up to 36" wide and is available for poster printing.

In addition to the maintaining the above equipment, the MRSEC-funded computer support staff (Andre Mel'cuk and Sefa Nkrumah) maintains the department's network, ensures the proper operation of the research equipment within the department and is available for technical support and computer-related special projects.

Location: Room 333 LRSM Building
Coordinators: Prof. Arjun Yodh

The center is a facility equipped with a wide array of optical microscopy and micro-manipulation systems to meet the needs of structural, dynamical and material characterization of soft matter, including colloids, emulsions, vesicles, liquid crystals and biomolecular materials. The facility contains:

• Five optical microscopes equipped with high resolution digital video acquisition systems capable of bright field, phase contrast, high speed, and fluorescence microscopy.
• Three high-speed confocal setups, which can be used to study three-dimensional structure of materials, and biomolecular samples.
• One holographic tweezer system based on a Zeiss Axiovert 135 employs focused laser beams to manipulate microscopic objects. A spatial light modulator can generate complex patterns, and enables three-dimensional manipulation.

In addition to microscopy, the center provides other supporting optics equipment that is useful for characterization of soft materials. In particular, the center hosts a laser light scattering apparatus which is useful for angle-resolved static light scattering and photon correlation spectroscopy (i.e. quasi-elastic or dynamic light scattering spectroscopy).

EQUIPMENT:

Leica DMRX

Upright light microscope, capable of bright field, dark field, polarization, phase contrast, fluorescence, differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy, translational stage with position reader, and objective temperature control.

• 60 fps b/w digital CCD camera (0.32 MP) (UNIQ)
• mercury lamp for fluorescence measurements
• room 333

Leica DMIR13/VT-Eye Confocal

Inverted light microscope, capable of bright field, dark field, polarization, phase contrast, fluorescence microscopy, with objective temperature control. This microscope is attached to a VisiTech ‘VT-Eye’ confocal setup VisiTech ‘VT-Eye’

• 30 images per second (512 x 512 pixels); up to 400 images/s for reduced field of view
• Ultra-fast 3D acquisition: 256 x 256 x 100 pixel 3D image, 1 per second
• Z-scan up to 400 microns with 100 nm resolution
• Multi- wavelength excitation laser, 488, 514 and 568 nm
• VoxCell software for easy control and data management
  • 60 fps b/w digital CCD camera (0.32 MP) (UNIQ)
  • room 333

Zeiss Axiovert 135/Optical Tweezer

Inverted light microscope, capable of bright field, dark field, polarization, phase contrast, fluorescence microscopy with objective temperature control. This microscope is attached to a holographic tweezer setup with spatial light modulator (SLM), capable of generating complex patterns at up to 60 frames per second with 1064 nm infrared laser

• fast (500 fps at ~1.3 MP, faster at reduced area of interest) b/w digital CMOS camera (Mikrotron)
• high-resolution (10 fps at 5 MP) b/w digital CMOS camera (EPIX)
• high-resolution (5 fps at 10 MP) b/w digital CMOS camera (EPIX)
• optical tweezers setup (Yodh group, NOT set up for general use)
• room 314

Brookhaven Instruments, BI-200SM, dynamic light scattering Capable of averaging, time-integrated intensity (classical) light scattering measurements, temperature control from 5˚C to 80˚C with stability of ±0.1 ˚C, angle selection with 0.01˚ steps

• red HeNe-laser, 15 mW
• currently not set up for static light scattering
• room 314

Leica DMRX A2 (Spinning Disk Confocal equipment available)

Upright light microscope, capable of bright field, dark field, polarization, DIC, and fluorescence contrast, fully automated with motorized stage (all three dimensions), and objective temperature control.

• 60 fps b/w digital CCD camera (0.32 MP) (UNIQ)
• equipment available, but not set up:

Visitech QLC-100 Spinning Disk Confocal setup for confocal imaging with excitation wavelength of 532nm, from external CrystaLaser diode pumped crystal laser source. MetaMorph software for control and data management.

• room 312

Nikon Eclipse 200/Confocal VT Eye

Inverted light microscope, capable of fluorescence microscopy. This microscope is attached to a VisiTech ‘VT-Eye’ confocal setup, and Bohlin Gemini rheometer (Rheology Center) VisiTech ‘VT-Eye’

• 30 images per second (512 x 512 pixels); up to 400 images/s for reduced field of view
• Ultra-fast 3D acquisition: 256 x 256 x 100 pixel 3D image, 1 per second
• Z-scan up to 100 microns with 100 nm resolution Multi- wavelength excitation laser, at 488, 569 and 633nm
• Reflection mode capability VoxCell software for easy control and data management

Light scattering facility

Brookhaven Instruments, BI-200SM Capable of averaging, time-integrated intensity (classical), and intensity fluctuations (Quasi-elastic) light scattering measurements, temperature control from 5 ˚C to 80 ˚C with stability of ±0.1 ˚C, angle selection with 0.01˚ steps.

The Texas Materials Institute (TMI) operates the Materials Science and Engineering graduate program, provides the instrumentation necessary to conduct modern materials research, and promotes interdisciplinary research in materials science and engineering.

Shared facility operated by the Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience (NCMN). The Facility is dedicated to materials identification and characterization through non-destructive, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) technique. The specific applications include Powder diffraction, x-ray reflectometry, small angle scattering, pole figure, reciprocal space mapping, Grazing incidence in-plane diffraction, x-ray crystallography etc. Non-ambient powder and single crystal diffraction is also available at selected temperature range.

Since 1962, the Materials Research Laboratory (MRL) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign provides a large array of instrumentation for the fabrication, processing and characterization of materials operating as shared-instrumentation under the MRL Central Research Facilities. Instrument access, training and research support is provided to all research, academic and industrial institutions in the country in a 24/7/365 open-access mode. The facilities are managed under the philosophy that scientific research is most effectively advanced through a dynamic, interdisciplinary environment with shared instrumentation supported by highly skilled professionals.

FUNCTION: The primary function is to provide general-purpose equipment for X-ray scattering and fluorescence studies. The facility can also provide equipment for non-routine experiments such as, special attachments for high temperatures, vacuum or protective atmospheres, monochromators, special linear and area detectors, etc. Examples of current measurements are: powder diffraction (XRD), single-crystal diffraction, thin-film reflectivity (XRR), thin-film diffraction, crystal truncation rod scattering (CTR), small angle scattering (SAXS), Laue diffraction, pole figures, energy dispersive X-ray Fluorescence spectroscopy, x-ray standing waves, high-resolution x-ray diffraction (HRXRD), and grazing incidence wide-angle scattering (GIWAXS), and GISAXS. The X-ray lab also functions to help prepare students and postdocs for their beamtime at the Advanced Photon Source (APS).

EQUIPMENT:There are presently thirteen experimental x-ray stations available, five of which have rotating anode sources.

COMPUTERS AND SOFTWARE:All of the x-ray stations operate via networked PC's with
software that allows for control via stepping motors and data collection via counters. A
networked printer and wireless network are provided. Available software includes: ICDD PDF4+ database, MDI-JADE xrd analysis, CrystalMaker, and Laue diffraction software packages are available. LINUX based SPEC and NEWPLOT (also used at the APS) are available on four of the stations.

Location: LRSM 13
Supervisor/Coordinator: Iryna Golovina
Contact: Iryna Golovina
Phone: 215-573-9482
Email: [email protected]
Oversight Committee Chair: Karen I. Winey

The heart of this facility is a state of the art instrument for ultra-small to wide angle X-ray scattering. The Xeuss 2.0 from Xenocs permits characterization over length scales from 0.09 nm to 600 nm and thus facilitates study of hierarchical structures in a wide range of hard and soft materials. Features and capabilities include:

• Dual copper and molybdenum X-ray sources.
• Dual detectors: a 1M Pilatus solid state detector for small angle scattering, and a 100K Dectris detector for scattering up to 45°.
• Adjustable sample-to-detector distance between 15 cm and 6 meters allows measurements for variable d-spacing ranges.
• Temperature-dependent measurements between -90°C and +250°C.
• Tensile stage with temperature control.
• Simultaneous control of temperature and humidity.
• Multiple sample holders for measurements in transmission or grazing incidence configuration.

The facility is available to Penn faculty, staff, and students, and to outside users on an hourly fee basis.

Non-Penn academic users: $60/hour
Non-academic users: $300/hour or $3000/24-hour day
There is no charge for initial training

DEXS Measurement Service is available at an additional 39% administrative fee to the total cost of service for outside users who are unable to visit the facility directly.

Cutting-edge research at Penn is conducted using DEXS equipment.

For videos, prepared by Paul Heiney, that provide an introduction to modern techniques of X-ray diffraction, please visit the X-Ray Scattering Lecture Series page hosted by the Penn’s Scholarly Commons.

Oversight Committee:

Eric Detsi
Zahra Fakhraai
Paul A. Heiney
Christopher B. Murray
Chinedum Osuji
Eric Stach
Karen I. Winey

Funding for this instrument was provided by a NSF-MRI grant (17-25969), a ARO-DURIP grant (W911NF-17-1-0282), and the University of Pennsylvania.

Facilities users must include the following text in the acknowledgement section of their publications:

“The authors acknowledge use of the Dual Source and Environmental X-ray Scattering facility operated by the Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter at the University of Pennsylvania (NSF MRSEC 17-20530). The equipment purchase was made possible by a NSF MRI grant (17-25969), a ARO DURIP grant (W911NF-17-1-0282), and the University of Pennsylvania.”

The central NIAC facility has provided materials researchers and industrial clients with electron microscopy imaging and analytical analysis, surface analysis and x-ray diffraction serves for over 25 years. The NIAC houses:

• Dynacool PPMS System
• J.A. Woollam Variable Angle Spectroscopic Ellipsometer (VASE) and Infrared VASE (IR-VASE) systems
• Cameca Local Electrode Atom Probe
• Three scanning electron microscopes with Electron Dispersive X-ray spectrometers
• Four transmission electron microscopes, with Cryo TEM tomography and an FEI Titan aberration corrected (S)TEM
• A surface analysis instrument: a Thermo Fisher k-alpha X-Ray Photoelectron Spectrometer
• Three atomic force microscopes including a Bruker Icon and a Bruker Catalyst BioAFM
• Two dual-beam focused ion beam instruments, including a Plasma Focused Ion Beam
• An Andor Spinning Disk Confocal Microscope
• A confocal micro-Raman spectrometer (Horiba LabRAM HR Evolution)
• A small-angle x-ray diffractometer (SAXS)
• Three additional Diffractometers
• A ZYGO Optical Interferometer
• A Horiba Nanolog spectrofluorometer
• A UV/VIS Dual Beam Fluorometer

For use, questions or more information, please contact the DIrector of MRSEC facilities:

Dr. Jerry Hunter

(608) 263-1073

[email protected]

Computational Biomimetics Laboratories are exclusive to GEMSEC and consist of a cluster of about 360 processors with a cumulative processing power of 4.7 x 1012 instructions per clock (661 GHz), 169 GB RAM, and 30568 GB HD. All the machines run the Linux operating system. These exclusive facilities, under the leadership of Samudrala (Microbiology), are available for the GEMSEC's computational needs. Computational, modeling and visualization facilities are also present in MSE (Roberts 121, Sarikaya), and Chem. Eng. (Benson 333, Baneyx) departments. Contact Dr. Hanson Fong for details.