Michael Pravica's Research Interest
My research interests entail: 1. understanding the behavior of organic crystals [including “energetic materials” (explosives)] under static high-pressure (1 Mbar or less using a diamond anvil cell) and variable temperature (10ºK → 1000ºK); 2. investigating actinide and lanthanide-series elements, compounds, and alloys under high pressure and variable temperature; and 3. demonstrating the newly-developed doping method for wide bandgap semiconductors, Ion Beam Nuclear Transmutation Doping (IBNTD), and eventually to use this technique to create novel electronic devices. The available techniques that we have at hand to perform the research are primarily Raman and X-ray spectroscopies though we have equipment (spectrometers, IR detectors, IR lasers, etc.) or access to equipment (NMR spectrometer, XPS spectrometer, etc.) to extend our measurement capabilities. Beyond the “in-house” HiPSEC facilities, we have access to the High Pressure Collaborative Access Team (HP-CAT) Facility at the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory and the Positive Ion Beam Facility at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock (NSWCCD) in Maryland for IBNTD.
Past advances in my group include the discovery of cyclohexane as an excellent pressure-transmitting medium and its’ survivability at extremely high pressure (>40GPA) and high temperature (>500ºK) as well as at least two new phases of the material at high pressures. We have also discovered a new phase of PETN (a high explosive) around 30GPa never before seen and are actively investigating this. My Navy collaborators and I have also applied for a patent on our IBNTD doping method last Fall.
Potential summer research projects include:
1. Performing Raman experiments on various energetic materials (e.g. TATB, PETN, RDX) under pressure into the Megabar regime.
2. Performing X-ray experiments on various energetic materials (e.g. TATB, PETN, RDX) into the Megabar regime. This work would also yield the opportunity to travel to Argonne National Laboratory for occasional experiments during the summer. Learning of X-ray data fitting programs such as Jade or GSAS will be required.
3. Investigation of argon as a pressure-transmitting medium to couple and compare with data we have on cyclohexane and silicone as viable quasi-hydrostatic media.
4. Constructing a photoluminscence experiment to study the effects of doping in 13C diamond and other doped wide bandgap semiconductors to measure the optical effects due to doping. We currently have some isotopically-pure 13C diamond which we will have doped at the NSWCCD positive ion facility sometime this summer. Raman measurements will also be conducted. Hall effect/resistitivty measurements on the doped materials will also be attempted.
5. Finally, as we desire to go to high pressures and high temperatures, we will be constructing and testing an oven for high-temperature operation of diamond anvil cells and in-situ measurement. Raman measurements of hydrocarbons and energetic materials at high pressure will then be subsequently performed using the oven.
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