Participating in
the summer URSP program through OSCAR has allowed me to continue my research
with Dr. Vora, a physics professor whose research focuses on solid state
physics. In my last blog post, I detailed the arduous but rewarding process of
building a lab from scratch. After several months of hard work we’ve finally reached
the point where we’ve been able to take real data! Our team and the types of
materials we’re studying have also expanded, giving me a great opportunity to
learn new science and make friends with like-minded students.
Although I
wasn’t originally sure what area of physics most interested me, my work with
Dr. Vora over the past several months encouraged me to continue exploring solid
state materials for my summer project. My primary goal this summer was to study
the optical properties of charge transfer (CT) crystals. Unlike atomic
crystals, in this case the crystal structure is formed by stacks of repeating
donor and acceptor molecules. This unique arrangement gives way to emergent
physics that goes beyond the individual properties of the constituent
molecules. In the long run, our goal is to understand and harness these materials
to achieve designer organic electronics. Organic electronics offer several
advantages over traditional semiconductor technology, from lower cost of
processing to compatibility with current production methods. They also offer
the advantage of being lighter and thinner than traditional electronics and have
great potential in flexible digital displays.
Unsurprisingly
for scientists, my summer has been a lot about taking data and interpreting the
results. For example, when we measure the absorption properties of CT Crystals
in different stoichiometries (different ratios of acceptors and donor
molecules) we see significant differences, suggesting that some ratios are
conducive to co-crystallization (the stack-like arrangement) while others are
not.
But the life of
a lab research assistant isn’t all fun and graphs. In fact, on a daily basis I
spend a lot of my time designing and optimizing our optical setups. Working
with optics requires incredible precision, and even the slightest mistake in
the alignment could disrupt our ability to take measurements. The really
exciting moments come well after the design stage, when every aspect of the
setup – the mirrors, lenses, beam splitters, rejection filters, and so on – are
aligned perfectly. Only then can I fire up our spectrometer and watch the data
roll in.
The lab still
sports a long to-do list, and frankly that’s the way I prefer it. I already
have plans to continue my work with Dr. Vora into the fall semester, and
hopefully beyond! The opportunity to work on these long-term projects and carry
an idea through from start to finish has been an invaluable one. Every day I
learn something new about the experimental process and the far-reaching
applications of our research, offering me a glimpse into my future as a physicist.
