Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

Urgent repair of our existing Physical Property Management System (PPMS) is crucial to advance the research programs of five groups in Chemistry and Physics at Brock University. The core of the PPMS comprises a cryogenic chamber, enabling samples to be studied at temperatures from 400 to 1.8 K and a magnet generating fields up to 9 Tesla. Its modular nature supports a diverse set of `options' for the measurement of a range of material properties. It was first installed in 2012 and apart from a failed Alternating Current (AC) module, all its other components are in excellent working order. Reserchers at Brock desperately need access to the AC option to study the magnetic properties of a broad range of materials. Over the past decade, this instrument has supported the practical training of > 60 highly qualified personnel (HQP) that includes course and research-based graduate students, postdoctoral researchers (PDFs) and visiting scholars. Unfortunately, the original ACMS(I) option contains components (coils and quartz tubes) that have become irreparably damaged over time. Due to its age, repair is not possible as parts are no longer available, and the unit is no longer supported by the manufacturer. To replace this component, we are requesting an upgrade to the newest ACMS(II) option available from the manufacturer, and to the modular control system to ensure that the electronics are fully compatible with our existing instrumentation. These upgrades will result in improved performance and considerably extend the lifetime of the PPMS by 15+ years. The consortium of (co)applicants and users submitting this application includes chemists studying molecule-based magnetic materials and physicists studying the optical and magnetic properties of condensed soft matter. The team of researchers and HQP are representative of the diversity of gender, culture, ethnicity, and racial background at Brock University. Restored access to the proposed infrastructure will enable us to continue to provide excellent training to our HQP who include members of under-represented groups. This shared infrastructure will further the diversity of research and working relationships at Brock, serve as a hub to facilitate new collaborative ideas, and provide networking opportunities for HQP outside of their home departments. The newly upgraded PPMS will facilitate 24/7 access of the equipment to internal and external users that will underpin new collaborations and research partnerships and help offset costs. The upgraded ACMS(II) option will enable Brock researchers to study slow relaxation phenomena of new molecules and materials as "stepping-stones" for the development of emerging technologies such as quantum computers, that over the next decade promise to radically transform banking and finance services, space and defense, energy and power, healthcare and pharmaceutical research and development.