Abstract: Deciphering self-organization mechanisms of nanostructures (e.g., nanodots, ripples) and low-dimensional state systems (e.g., 2D materials, ultrathin films, etc...) on complex materials (i.e., compound semiconductors [1], alloys, metallic glass [2]) via low-energy ion beam irradiation is critical to manipulate functionality in nanostructured systems. By operating at ultra-low energies near the damage threshold, irradiation-driven defect engineering can be optimized (e.g., 10-500 eV). Tunability of optical, electronic, magnetic, and nuclear detection properties is realized by reaching metastable phases controlled by irradiation. This talk summarizes emerging research that exploits irradiation-driven materials modification with applications in: nanophotonics, nanoelectronics, biomaterials and nuclear detection. Furthermore, advances of in-situ analysis conducted during modification to correlate tunable irradiation synthesis and device performance will be summarized [3].
[1] M Lively et al. Sci. Reports 10, (2020) 8253
[2] P. Luo et al. ACS Appl. Nano Mater 3, 12 (2020) 12025
[3] J.P. Allain and A. Shetty, J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 50, 28 (2017) 283002
Bio: Jean Paul Allain is the inaugural head of the Ken and Mary Alice Lindquist Department of Nuclear Engineering. He holds the Lloyd and Dorothy Foehr Huck Chair in Plasma Medicine in the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, and he is a faculty co-hire of the Institute for Computational and Data Sciences. Allain was professor and associate head of graduate programs in the Department of Nuclear, Plasma and Radiological Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) from 2013 until 2019 and was assistant and associate professor in nuclear engineering at Purdue University from 2007 to 2013. His group’s research areas include advanced functional bio interfaces, advanced nuclear fusion interfaces, multi-scale computational irradiation surface science, nanostructured functional materials, adaptive and self-healing interfaces, sustainable nanomanufacturing, and in-situ, in-operando material surface diagnostics.