The quest to observe, predict, and control the arrangements and motions of the particles that constitute condensed-matter systems is central to the condensed-matter and materials physics (CMMP) enterprise. The constituent particles span an enormous range of sizes—from electrons and atoms to macromolecules—and their motions span a correspondingly immense range of timescales. As a result, the experimental, computational, and theoretical tools required to study them are extremely diverse. Many of these tools are developed by individual research groups; other tools, such as synchrotron x-ray and neutron scattering, are developed at large-scale national laboratory facilities. Technical innovations that extend the limits of measurement and prediction lie at the forefront of CMMP research. For example, scanning probe microscopes were developed to image surfaces at scales too small to be resolved by ordinary optical microscopy, and they immediately transformed the fundamental understanding of surface science. Moreover, the benefits of new techniques often stretch far beyond condensed-matter physics; scanning probe microscopes have now evolved into universal tools at the nanoscale for the physical and life sciences. Experimental condensed-matter tools underlie many noninvasive medical diagnostics, while theoretical and computational tools from CMMP, such as local electron density approximations and numerical simulation methods, are now used by pharmaceutical companies. The past decade has seen the advent of promising techniques, such as coherent and pulsed x-rays, novel optics based on exotic materials, multiscale modeling, and topological approaches to the study of magnetic and superconducting materials. As CMMP researchers seek to answer fundamental questions about materials, they will continue to design
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11
Tools, Instrumentation, and
Facilities for Condensed-Matter
and Materials Physics Research
The quest to observe, predict, and control the arrangements and motions of
the particles that constitute condensed-matter systems is central to the condensed-
matter and materials physics (CMMP) enterprise. The constituent particles span
an enormous range of sizes—from electrons and atoms to macromolecules—and
their motions span a correspondingly immense range of timescales. As a result,
the experimental, computational, and theoretical tools required to study them are
extremely diverse. Many of these tools are developed by individual research groups;
other tools, such as synchrotron x-ray and neutron scattering, are developed at
large-scale national laboratory facilities. Technical innovations that extend the
limits of measurement and prediction lie at the forefront of CMMP research. For
example, scanning probe microscopes were developed to image surfaces at scales
too small to be resolved by ordinary optical microscopy, and they immediately
transformed the fundamental understanding of surface science. Moreover, the
benefits of new techniques often stretch far beyond condensed-matter physics;
scanning probe microscopes have now evolved into universal tools at the nanoscale
for the physical and life sciences. Experimental condensed-matter tools underlie
many noninvasive medical diagnostics, while theoretical and computational tools
from CMMP, such as local electron density approximations and numerical simu-
lation methods, are now used by pharmaceutical companies. The past decade has
seen the advent of promising techniques, such as coherent and pulsed x-rays, novel
optics based on exotic materials, multiscale modeling, and topological approaches
to the study of magnetic and superconducting materials. As CMMP researchers
seek to answer fundamental questions about materials, they will continue to design
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and
tools, or adapt tools for new applications, that will benefit CMMP, other scientific
disciplines, and society at large.
TOOLS AND INSTRUMENTATION FOR CMMP RESEARCH
Measurement techniques designed to probe the properties of matter at smaller
length, time, or energy scales or with greater quantitative resolution and sensitivity
advance the forefront of condensed-matter and materials physics research. Likewise,
techniques designed to synthesize high-quality materials with precisely controlled
structures underpin many great CMMP discoveries. By pushing the boundaries of
materials fabrication and measurement forward, experimental CMMP researchers
have uncovered new phenomena that were often unanticipated. These discoveries
have not only transformed CMMP, but they themselves have led in turn to new
ways to manipulate and image matter, crucial to many new technological advances
with a broad range of applications.
New computational and theoretical techniques that push forward the boundar-
ies of prediction also play a prominent role in advancing CMMP. To some extent,
theory and computation are interlinked—theory nearly always forms the basis
for new approximations or algorithms that substantially increase the efficiency of
computations. Conversely, numerical computation is often indispensable in theory.
Theoretical innovations, such as the application of field theories to condensed-
matter systems and linear response theory have not only allowed researchers to
tackle previously intractable problems, but, like many of the greatest experimental
and computational techniques, have also changed the landscape of CMMP by
revealing unexpected phenomena or deep, previously hidden connections among
phenomena. As discussed later, computation can dramatically amplify the power
of analytical tools. Indeed, the first electronic digital computer itself was built in
order to carry out theoretical CMMP calculations.
The research community is at the brink of an era in which powerful computer
simulations will be integrated into measurement tools, enabling the extraction of
information in unprecedented detail from measured quantities. Simulations will
extend the reach of analytical theoretical techniques, connecting conceptual devel-
opments to experimental measurements. The results will guide researchers through
the realms of materials possibilities so vastly expanded by the ability to control the
structure of the material at the nanoscale. Closing the loop, new detectors and de-
vices will be made possible by new, purposefully designed, functional materials to
further increase the power of measurements. Some of these breakthroughs will be
made in single-investigator laboratories and, following the example of the scanning
tunneling microscope, will turn into commodity instruments. Other advances will
rely on the unique powers of staggeringly expensive large-scale instruments and
teams of experts supported by large national facilities; these tools will need to be
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broadly available and “user friendly” for a wide cross section of researchers. Thus,
all agencies supporting CMMP research should provide strong instrumentation
programs to enable the research work in the CMMP field to be carried out effi-
ciently and well. There is a need for keeping the infrastructure supporting CMMP
research at universities up to date and for providing modern instruments for the
training of the next generation of researchers.
Instrumentation in CMMP Research
CMMP researchers have a track record of developing new measurement tools
that have enabled advances not only within CMMP, but also in other areas that
encompass the physical, chemical, biological, and medical sciences. Indeed, the
continued development of techniques with sufficient spatial resolution and sen-
sitivity to measure structure, composition, and properties of condensed-matter
over various length scales (from nano to macro), dimensionalities, and timescales
is essential. During the past decade there have been significant advances in the use
of tools in imaging, scattering, and spectroscopy. In this section, the Committee
on CMMP 2010 briefly highlights advances in some of these areas.
Imaging Techniques
Imaging techniques provide structural images, direct and indirect, and prop-
erty maps. Microscopy alone and microscopy combined with tomographic tech-
niques are the most commonly used techniques to create images in two and three
dimensions, respectively. Recent developments in x-ray microscopy, based largely
on improvements of the fabrication of the optics, have enabled the observation of
molecular length-scale height variations on a surface. Image measurements are now
accomplished over an area of many microns, with a resolution of 200 nanometers
(nm) and a step height of 0.6 nm with this technique. X-ray imaging has also
enabled imaging at greater depths within a sample than is possible with electrons.
With third-generation synchrotron sources, it is possible to study opaque objects
using hard x-rays, while soft x-rays are used for soft materials and to probe near
the surface of materials. X-ray beams can be focused to dimensions on the order
of 100 nm to enable better resolution; the limiting resolution with x-rays is yet to
be reached.
A new development involves imaging by neutrons. Imaging is based on the
notion that neutrons are characterized by a de Broglie wave packet with a spatial
distribution that is sufficiently large to permit interference, very much in the same
way as light. With the development of appropriate “optics,” including transmission
gratings based on differences in neutron-capture cross sections and incoherent
scattering cross sections, two-dimensional images of various materials can be
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created. In fact, a three-dimensional image, based on the scattering length density
distribution, can be reconstructed.
While scanning probe techniques have become ubiquitous in CMMP and have
had an enormous impact on the understanding of materials, particularly at the
nanoscale, many challenges remain. The inability to scan large areas of samples
rapidly and issues related to thermal drift remain to be solved. Other issues await-
ing resolution relate to the interpreting of data that are influenced by interactions
between the cantilever tip and the sample. In the future, further progress in in-
strumentation and data analysis, smaller cantilevers together with better deflection
sensors, and improved sample-preparation techniques will lead to greater sensitiv-
ity and resolution. Multifunctional cantilevers, wherein a local “field” is applied
while simultaneously probing the local response of the system, are part of a future
strategy to ensure the increased impact of these techniques in the understanding of
nanoscale properties. More sophisticated detection systems to enhance sensitivity
further and improved computer algorithms for data interpretation and analysis will
increase the utility and wide accessibility of these techniques that are so essential
to modern CMMP materials characterization.
Scattering Techniques
Scattering is also used to provide information about the structure and dy-
namics of condensed matter. For example, diffraction techniques, the best known
of the scattering processes, provide information about the long-range order of a
sample, with tenths-of-a-nanometer resolution, and the use of x-rays, combined
with information gleaned from neutron measurements, has led to a better under-
standing of the crystallography of complex macromolecules. Neutron scattering
has grown in recent years as a regular tool for the characterization of samples.
Neutron scattering techniques provide information about dynamics from 10–12
seconds to seconds and structure at length scales from 0.1 nm to 103 nm. Neutrons
convey information about interatomic forces on the basis of measurement of the
energy of the scattered neutrons. The incident intensity (flux) of neutrons and
the efficiency with which the scattered neutrons are detected are key factors that
determine the performance of a neutron source. The third-generation neutron
sources (for example, the Spallation Neutron Source [SNS] at Oak Ridge National
Laboratory) provide large increases in sensitivity that will result in better speed
in data acquisition (seconds or minutes versus hours or a day, depending on the
system and the information collected) and will enable measurements of lower
concentrations of a given species. The latter is important because it will enable the
analysis of multicomponent systems.
Other types of scattering techniques provide direct spatial depth profiling in-
formation of materials, including Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, forward
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recoil spectrometry, nuclear reaction analysis, and secondary ion mass spectrom-
etry. These techniques involve the use of incident energetic ion beams; analysis of
species emanating from the sample provides information about the concentration
of a given species as a function of depth. The effective use of combinations of
neutron and x-ray scattering with ion-beam techniques can provide more detailed
information about the structure and dynamics of nanocomposites, heterostruc-
tures, and complex liquids at smaller length scales.
Spectroscopy Techniques
The use of spectroscopy techniques for imaging has grown rapidly in re-
cent years. These techniques, which have been very successful in the imaging of
soft materials, including biological materials and polymers, have been invaluable.
New developments that involve the use of scanning force probes, scanning force
magnetic resonance (a sample is placed on a cantilever in the presence of a small
ferroelectric tip which creates an inhomogeneous field that has the effect of polar-
izing the spins in the sample) have enabled the three-dimensional imaging of an
individual atom as well as single spins.
Infrared and Raman techniques have been used to image samples based on
a vibrational signature associated with a molecule. Researchers have been suc-
cessful in using the Raman effect, inelastically scattered light that is shifted in
wavelength relative to the incident wavelength, to improve the sensitivity of the
identity of certain molecules within a sample. Surface-enhanced Raman scatter-
ing has laid the foundation for the development of surface-enhanced spectros-
copies that include surface-enhanced fluorescence and surface-enhanced infrared
spectroscopy. The latest developments include single-molecule surface-enhanced
Raman spectroscopy and tip-enhanced scanning near-field optical microprobe
Raman spectroscopy.
Simultaneous Measurement Capabilities
New strategies that involve in situ characterization of materials using x-rays
or neutrons are becoming routine. Specifically, some research groups use x-rays or
neutrons to measure the properties of materials (dynamics structure, phase transi-
tions, and so on) that are simultaneously subjected to external perturbations (stress,
temperature, and various kinds of fields). With the use of tomographic techniques,
information about the interior of samples can now be learned without the need to
section them destructively for analysis with transmission electron microscopy (TEM)
or scanning probe techniques. The availability of these combined techniques enables
increased spatial and temporal resolution and rapid data acquisition. In some cases
the duration of measurements could be reduced from tens of hours to minutes.
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Another significant advance is the use of scanning force techniques in con-
junction with other techniques for learning about properties, such as electrical
conductivity and magnetism, in unprecedented detail at the nanoscale. Instruments
are approaching the stage at which the resolution of joint probes is comparable to
atomic force microscope measurements of topography. In situ TEM capabilities
are also being developed to enable the direct observation of changes in atomic ar-
rangement (structure) of a material while it simultaneously experiences external
perturbations owing to changes in temperature, mechanical stresses, or electric
fields. This is a powerful technique that is currently exploited by a number of elec-
tron microscopists. The development of more sophisticated theory and multiscale
algorithms that enable better use of experimental data to characterize samples will
be a continuing challenge.
Computation in CMMP Research
As the materials and phenomena of interest have become increasingly com-
plex, computation has emerged as an essential tool in the process of interpreting
experimental data and analyzing theoretical models. Over the past decade or two,
computational CMMP has developed fully into a branch of study in its own right,
on a par with experimental and theoretical CMMP.
From the beginning, computational CMMP has not only allowed researchers to
confront previously insoluble problems but has also provided a means to discover
new phenomena. There are two paradigms in computational CMMP. One extends
the power of theoretical modeling by numerical solution of “simple” models, both
classical and quantum, which capture the essential physics of the system of interest.
These results are used either directly in interpreting and predicting experimentally
observed phenomena or as an aid to “pencil and paper” analysis by developing and
validating approximations to study models that cannot be solved exactly. The sec-
ond paradigm is the direct solution of the quantum mechanical equations to make
quantitative predictions about the behavior of particular materials at the atomic
scale. In both, breakthroughs in the development of theory and algorithms, aided
by enormous increases in computer speed and memory, have enabled dramatic
progress in the past decade.
Techniques developed for the numerical investigation of simple models have
had widespread applicability beyond CMMP. Monte Carlo methods are now stan-
dard tools in all fields of science and engineering and are even used in industrial
contexts. Some recent approaches that have promise for significant impact in
CMMP are phase retrieval methods and new forms of Monte Carlo algorithms,
including ones that can evolve dynamically. New field theoretical algorithms are
having increasing impact. With the density matrix renormalization group (DMRG)
method, significant progress has been made toward eliminating the “sign problem”
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bottleneck, ubiquitous in numerical studies of systems of interacting electrons;
this method has also had a significant impact in quantum chemistry, quantum
information theory, and nuclear and high-energy physics.
With these methods, it is now possible quantitatively to study models that cap-
ture aspects of the essential physics of materials with strongly correlated electrons,
such as complex oxides, including the high-temperature superconducting cuprates
and magnetoresistive manganites, and two-dimensional electron gases. Figure 11.1
shows an example of the rich variety of ground-state orderings that have been
observed in models of the cuprates with the DMRG method.
Methods for the direct solution of the underlying quantum mechanical equa-
tions allow quantitative, material-specific, first-principles prediction of structure
and properties. The ongoing development of efficient algorithms allows the study
of ever-more-complex structures, including crystals with very large unit cells,
and nanostructured systems. New classes of algorithms and the incorporation
of many-body physics allow the extension of these methods to a broader range
of materials—notably, correlated electron systems with magnetic, orbital, and
FIGURE 11.1 Plots showing the stripe ordering of the charge and spin on a two-dimensional CuO 2
plane in the high-temperature superconductor (La,Nd,Sr)CuO4. (Left) As suggested by neutron-
scattering experiments. (Right) As calculated for the t-J model using the density matrix renormaliza-
tion group method. SOURCE: Reprinted with permission from S.R. White and D.J. Scalapino, “Density
Matrix Renormalization Group Study of the Striped Phase in the 2D t-J Model,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 80,
1272 (1998). Copyright 1998 by the American Physical Society.
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charge ordering, and systems under ultrahigh pressure relevant to geophysics. New
capabilities are being developed to study systems in applied electric and magnetic
fields and to extend computations for excited states. Such computational capability
is necessary for predicting optical and transport properties. An example is shown
in Figure 11.2.
The direct solution of the underlying quantum mechanical equations also
plays a key enabling role in the design of new materials. In this work, the target is
particular structures and properties, requiring the solution of the “inverse problem”
to find a corresponding material. In an experimental framework, combinatorial
solid-state methods survey the structure and properties for entire compositional
ranges for complex solids containing three or more different elements. Similarly,
computational methods for the prediction of structure and properties of solids now
are accurate and fast enough to allow first-principles materials design, in which the
FIGURE 11.2 The current induced by varying voltages across carbon chains of varying lengths
sandwiched between gold and aluminum leads can be computed using first-principles methods. The
carbon nanowires differ from conventional wires in that the current is not proportional to the voltage.
SOURCE: J.B. Neaton, K.H. Khoo, C.D. Spataru, and S.G. Louie, “Electron Transport and Optical Prop-
erties of Carbon Nanostructures from First Principles,” Comput. Phys. Commun. 169, 1-8 (2005).
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FIGURE 11.3 The structure of lithium nickel manganese oxide, a promising new battery material
designed using computational methods, consists of layers of transition metal (nickel and manganese,
blue layer) separated from lithium layers (green) by oxygen (red). SOURCE: K. Kang, Y.S. Meng, J.
Bréger, C.P. Grey, and G. Ceder, “Electrodes with High Power and High Capacity for Rechargeable
Lithium Batteries,” Science 311, 977 (2006). Reprinted with permission from the American Associa-
tion for the Advancement of Science.
structural parameters and selected properties for large sets of real and hypothetical
structures can be surveyed to identify interesting materials for new physics and
applications, including room-temperature ferromagnetic semiconductors for spin-
tronics1 and new battery materials2 (see Figure 11.3). By using the first-principles
calculations as input into parameterizations of the composition space, searches can
be extended to even larger spaces of materials. Similar principles can be applied to
the design of heterogeneous materials and devices.
Much of the important physics in materials systems takes place at length
scales well beyond which fully first-principles methods are practical. This range
is extended by molecular dynamics simulations with parameterized interatomic
potentials. The associated loss in accuracy at the atomic level is compensated by
the ability to use tremendously larger numbers of atoms (100 million or more)
and the ability to study the time evolution of phenomena. One area in which such
computations have proved particularly valuable is in the study of mechanical prop-
erties, such as strength of materials, plastic deformation, fracture, and friction, in
1 S.C.
Erwin and I. Zutic, “Tailoring Ferromagnetic Chalcopyrites,” Nat. Mater. 3, 410 (2004).
2 C.C.
Fischer, K.J. Tibbetts, D. Morgan, and G. Ceder, “Predicting Crystal Structure by Merging
Data Mining with Quantum Mechanics,” Nat. Mater. 5, 641 (2006).
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which the behavior is determined by line and planar defects that are created and
propagated through the system. An example of such calculational results is given
in Figure 11.4.
As impressive as such simulations are, they are still far short of macroscopic
scales: a solid cube 1 micron on a side contains over a thousand times more atoms.
Within the past decade, priority has been given to developing truly multiscale
methods for modeling materials properties, with seamless integration of atomic
scale, intermediate length scale, and continuum methods. Similar multiscale ap-
proaches are needed to treat materials physics involving time evolution (dynam-
ics) on a wide range of timescales. While great progress has been made, additional
breakthroughs are needed.
As new measurement tools are developed, computational approaches will be
essential to interpreting larger amounts of data and extracting subtle signals and
correlations. Simulations can be invaluable in separating artifacts from intrinsic
behavior. Both in the numerical study of simple models and in first-principles
FIGURE 11.4 Snapshot from a molecular-dynamics simulation showing the behavior of nanocrystal-
line aluminum during deformation. The crystal grain at the center is 70 nm in diameter and is defined
by clear grain boundaries (blue atoms). Deformation is seen to drive the formation of planar defects
(red atoms) that start at the grain boundary and grow into the grain’s interior. SOURCE: V. Yamakov,
D. Wolf, S.R. Phillpot, A.K. Mukherjee, H. Gleiter, “Dislocation Processes in the Deformation of Nano-
crystalline Aluminium by Molecular-Dynamics Simulation,” Nat. Mater. 1, 45 (2002).
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simulations, novel unanticipated physical behavior can arise, giving new insights
and guiding experimental investigation.
Fundamental issues need to be addressed in the next decade to build on this
progress. More efficient, accurate, and broadly applicable methods must be de-
veloped to study dynamics, effects of thermal fluctuations, and excited states of
materials. There are many promising avenues for further progress in techniques for
studying systems with strong correlations. Particular attention should be paid to
improving the conceptual and algorithmic framework for studying energy trans-
formation in solids, such as in electromagnetic radiation, energetic particles, and
heat generation. Efforts should continue to be made to increase the efficiency of
algorithms by drawing on forefront research in numerical methods and computer
science. New approaches to multiscale methods for spatial and temporal variations
should be pursued. A concerted effort should be made to integrate simulations
into experimental data analysis and help with the proper interpretation of the
experimental measurements to increase the power of the developing experimental
probes described in this chapter. Lastly, the push to integrate simulations into new
materials design should intensify, with work continuing in parallel both on realiza-
tions for particular systems and on the development of broadly applicable tools
based on knowledge gained from these collaborations.
CENTERS AND FACILITIES IN CMMP RESEARCH
Both the complexity of scientific challenges and the resources required to con-
duct a successful CMMP research program have increased in recent years. A major
scientific challenge to the field is how to synthesize or fabricate materials in which
the electronic, atomic, and molecular organization varies spatially, and in some
systems, temporally. A related challenge is how to understand principles, or rules,
that govern the behavior of materials over different length scales and timescales.
To address these challenges, sophisticated tools (experimental, computational, and
theoretical) are needed to probe the structure and properties of materials over a
wide range of length scales and timescales. For synthesis, fabrication tools such as
focused ion beams, molecular beam epitaxy, and lithography have become prohibi-
tively expensive for operation by a single principal investigator (PI). Measurement
tools to probe structure and properties are also very expensive, with centers and
facilities addressing many of these needs. The associated requirements to educate
students on how to perform experiments using new techniques and facilities are a
pressing and constantly evolving need. In this section, the committee describes the
current status of the research infrastructure and its ability to address, for example,
the six CMMP challenges introduced in Chapter 1 and explicitly discussed in this
report. The status and role of centers and mid- and large-scale facilities in rela-
tion to single and small-group principal investigators are discussed. This chapter
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Recommendation: Hold crosscutting workshops. There are major opportunities
to reach out and connect with communities that use other, yet related techniques
to image nanoscale phenomena, such as atom-probe and ion microscopes for
three-dimensional imaging at the atomic scale, and x-ray nanoprobes. All of
these communities, from electron microscopy to x-ray nanoprobe, are now
gearing up to study similar materials problems and will face many similar
scientific as well as technique-related challenges; yet the communities operate
in parallel. Interdisciplinary, broadly based, and forward-looking workshops
to address such common issues should be encouraged.
High-Magnetic-Field Facilities
Magnetic fields interact with moving charges. Because the typical length scales
associated with this interaction scale decrease with increasing magnetic-field
strength, high magnetic fields can probe small spatial features and the associated
fast processes. In order to achieve magnetic lengths comparable to the size of a
quantum dot of 6-nanometer diameter, fields of about 20 tesla (T) are required;
80 T are necessary to shrink this length by another factor of two. As a consequence,
the study of magnetic phenomena on the scale of a few nanometers, and from there
on down to atomic dimensions, necessitates pushing the limits of what is possible
with current magnet technology.
Traditional areas of success for high-field research have been the study of fun-
damental mechanisms in correlated quantum systems such as low-dimensional
magnetism, the quantum Hall effect, and superconductivity, as well as the investiga-
tion of the properties of interacting magnetic flux bundles (“vortex matter”) inside
superconductors. Separately, high-field research has enabled magnetic resonance
studies in organic materials, providing important insights into membrane protein
structures, hemoglobin, and the underpinnings of photosynthesis. Furthermore,
CMMP research provides advanced materials, including superconductors with
better performance, special conductors, and high-strength alloys. These materials
form the critical components for magnets used in applications ranging from atomic
particle accelerators to medical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Two recent studies have looked into the current status and the potential for
future developments of high-field magnet research. For more detailed informa-
tion and discussions of the various technical issues, the committee refers to these
reports.8,9
8 National Research Council, Opportunities in High Magnetic Field Science, Washington, D.C.: The
National Academies Press, 2005.
9 Report of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics working group on Facilities for
Condensed Matter Physics: High Magnetic Fields, 2004. Available at http://www.iupap.org/wg/fcmp/
hmff/highmagneticreport.pdf; last accessed September 17, 2007.
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Current Status of High-Magnetic-Field Facilities
Magnet facilities fall into two categories, delineated by magnet technology and,
thus, by the maximum achievable magnet field strength. Smaller high-field mag-
nets (<20 T) are currently based on technology using superconducting niobium
compounds and are available commercially. These magnets are found in single PI
laboratories as well as in local multiuser facilities. Costs rise steeply with increas-
ing field. Niobium-titanium magnets deliver up to 11 T, while Nb3Sn goes up to
20 T in driven magnets (at a cost of $1 million to $2 million) and up to ~22 T in
persistent-mode NMR magnets (at a cost of $5 million to $15 million per system).
For these smaller magnet systems there have been no major technological advances
in recent years.
Large magnets (>30 T) comprise both continuous-field (direct current [dc])
and pulsed systems, are typically unique in design, and, because of their complexity
and costs, are mostly located at dedicated high-field facilities, such as the National
High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHMFL) in the United States. At U.S. national
facilities, large magnets are currently available that can reach up to 45 T in con-
tinuous mode (hybrid superconducting/resistive magnets), and up to 60 T for 100
microseconds in pulsed mode. As pointed out in the reports mentioned above,
the value of the maximum achievable field is not the only important parameter
for high-field research. Depending on the application, the quality and usefulness
of a facility are determined also by factors such as the homogeneity of the field,
the diameter of the magnet bore, or the availability of an environment amenable
to low-noise measurements. Furthermore, for much of CMMP research, another
important factor is the simultaneous access to low sample temperatures, that is, a
large ratio of magnetic-field strength to temperature. In this area, the NHMFL has
been a leader with its High B/T Facility.
With high-field magnet user facilities come challenges of energy costs in the
face of increasing magnet hours driven by user demand. This challenge motivates
higher-efficiency magnets, but they involve larger capital investment. As each
magnet technology becomes more broadly used (for example, resistive magnets for
nuclear and electron resonance), the issues shift toward addressing and integrating
different magnet specifications (for example, peak field, time at fixed field, and field
homogeneity) desired by the CMMP, chemistry, and biology user communities.
Medium-Term Developments
High-magnetic-field research in CMMP is driven by the prospect of using the
field as an exquisitely sensitive tuning parameter to explore emergent quantum
phases of matter and by being able to perform precision spectroscopy using tech-
niques such as NMR. In the area of complex fluids, the same spectroscopic methods
can be used to track trace elements, while quadrupolar NMR opens up almost the
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entire periodic table as candidate nuclei. This capability will allow for a new level of
structure-function correlation in glasses, ceramics, catalysts, and porous materials
(for example, zeolites and batteries).
Technological challenges for the coming decade center on the development of
new magnet technology beyond niobium. The recent report Opportunities in High
Magnetic Field Science10 identified a 30-T high-resolution NMR magnet, a 60-T dc
hybrid magnet, and a 100-T long-pulse magnet as grand challenges. All of these
require conductor materials in forms that are not yet commercially available, which
in itself poses a materials research and development challenge. The NHMFL has
been taking the lead in meeting these challenges and, furthermore, has embarked
on developing additional magnet systems for low power consumption, complex
fluids research, and ultrahigh fields (200 T/1 microsecond pulsed magnet).
New superconducting materials, such as MgB2 or high-Tc materials such as
yttrium barium copper oxide (YBCO) or bismuth strontium calcium copper oxide
(BSCCO), offer several advantages in terms of larger upper critical field strength
and higher operating temperatures (eliminating the need to cool with cryogens
such as liquid helium). Mulifilament MgB2-based technology currently can go as
high as 10 T, but 30 T or more appear eventually achievable. Commercial magnets
based on this new technology are around the corner, with MRI applications as a
major driver. Bi-2212 magnet wires promise greater than 50-T fields, among other
advantages, while YBCO offers the highest fields. However, there are still many
research and development challenges in terms of fabricating sufficiently long wires
or tapes out of these materials and in improving their tensile strength, as required
to withstand the forces generated in high-field magnets. Successful development
of these materials could lead to relatively low cost and easy-to-operate magnets
and would broaden the accessibility of high fields to small groups. Special pulsed
and hybrid magnets also will benefit from the integration of high-Tc components.
Resistive plus high-Tc technology should get well beyond 50 T. For pulsed magnets,
multishot 100-T fields are within reach.
An important direction besides magnet development will be the integration of
high fields with beam lines. This would allow the investigation of the neutron and
x-ray scattering properties of materials in high magnetic fields. Currently, there
are interesting design proposals to add hybrid magnets of fields of about 30 T to
beam lines at the SNS at ORNL, and at the APS at ANL. Another plan, involving a
collaboration of NHMFL, Jefferson Laboratory, and the University of California at
Santa Barbara, envisions combining advanced magnet technology with an infrared
free-electron laser. This would allow access to the terahertz regime that is resonant
with magnetic-field energy scales.
10 National Research Council, Opportunities in High Magnetic Field Science, Washington, D.C.: The
National Academies Press, 2005.
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Recommendations for High-Magnetic-Field Facilities in CMMP Research
Recommendation: NSF should continue the support of the National High
Magnetic Field Laboratory and high-magnetic-field instrumentation develop-
ment following the priorities recommended by the recent National Research
Council report Opportunities in High Magnetic Field Science.11
Recommendation: The research community, with support from the federal
agencies, should exploit the opportunities for superconducting magnets pro-
vided by the recent and imminent high-Tc conductor forms. This will benefit
small-scale users and high-field NMR users, and will allow for more powerful
hybrid magnets.
Nanocenters and Materials Synthesis
The past decade has given rise to significant investment in the establishment
of a diverse portfolio of nanoscience research centers. This development was made
possible by the stewardship of the multiagency National Nanotechnology Initiative
(NNI). The centers complement traditional major neutron and photon sources
for CMMP research and include strong user support in their mission statements.
The centers differ in character from one another according to the directives of
their sponsoring agencies. But, more significantly, they are in many ways distinct
in character from large-scale facilities such as neutron and photon sources. The
primary focus of the nanocenters is on the creation of new materials as well as on
the advanced characterization of materials, while the other major facilities deal pri-
marily with advanced characterizations. This focus represents a turning point, an
acknowledgment of the central importance of the need for new materials in order
to invigorate CMMP. This is a theme that needs to be extended and broadened in
the next decade in order for the United States to recapture its leadership in the area
of the discovery of new materials. In this subsection, nanocenters are discussed and
the model is considered for the design and discovery of new materials of interest to
CMMP researchers, such as bulk crystals, novel thin films, and superlattices.
Current Status of Nanocenters and Materials Synthesis
Researchers at many institutions face challenges associated with the avail-
ability of materials. They may lack the expertise or the appropriate equipment
11 National Research Council, Opportunities in High Magnetic Field Science, Washington, D.C.: The
National Academies Press, 2005.
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for the synthesis or growth of new or high-quality materials. The NSF National
Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (NNIN) program is intended to address
these issues. The NNIN program is largely directed at providing capabilities for
the synthesis and fabrication of materials and for providing computational and
theoretical tools and expertise. A network of 13 universities around the country
(see Figure 11.14) participates in this program to provide and share facilities for
nanoscience and engineering research.
In addition to the NSF NNIN program, DOE has established Nanoscale Science
Research Centers at five national laboratories: the Center for Nanophase Materials
Sciences at ORNL, the Molecular Foundry at LBNL, the Center for Integrated Nan-
otechnologies jointly operated by Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos
National Laboratory, the Center for Nanoscale Materials at ANL, and the Center
for Functional Nanomaterials at Brookhaven National Laboratory. These centers
are largely dedicated to materials synthesis, fabrication, and characterization. They
provide access to electron-beam nanowriters, lithography and stamping for nano-
fabrication; x-ray nanoprobes and facilities for complex materials formation and
soft hybrid materials; and infrastructure for theory simulations.
The nanocenters are distributed facilities that embrace interdisciplinary ap-
proaches to solving nanoscience and nanotechnology problems using a full suite
of modern instrumentation. At many of the nanocenters, theory and simulation
FIGURE 11.14 Institutions participating in the National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network pro-
gram. NOTE: UCSB, University of California at Santa Barbara; PSU, Pennsylvania State University;
TNLC (NCSU), Triangle National Lithography Center (North Carolina State University). SOURCE: See
http://www.nnin.org.
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are on a similar footing with experimental science. Also, the pursuit of world-class,
in-house scientific research programs is on a similar footing with user support
services. The nanocenters provide a pathway from fundamental science to applica-
tions with the possibility of commercialization and the creation of new start-up
companies.
The balance between science and user-service programs at the nanocenters is
approached differently, depending on the sponsoring agency. For example, the DOE
NSRCs encourage a model whereby each Ph.D. staff member pursues basic science
research and user-support services. The NIST Center for Nanoscale Science and
Technology has separate divisions that emphasize scientific programs and user sup-
port. The NIST scientific programs focus on solving major measurement-related
obstacles in the path from discovery to production. The Department of Defense
(DOD) supports an in-house, mission-oriented Institute for Nanoscience at the
Naval Research Laboratory.
Medium-Term Developments
The challenge ahead is to learn how to sustain the progress of the nanoscience
era and to optimize accessibility to a diverse range of instruments and facilities. In
cases where nanocenters are co-located with other major facilities, the planning of
one-stop shopping needs to be perfected so that newly created nanosystems can
be interrogated with electrons, neutrons, and x-rays in a single visit. Metrics need
to be refined for monitoring the success of the new nanocenters. The funding for
operations needs to support the diverse suite of equipment at the nanocenters.
Models need to be evaluated for a balance of in-house science and user sup-
port. Barriers will need to be lowered to facilitate the transition from science to
commercialization.
The nanocenters have addressed a gap in research culture by acknowledging
the importance of synthesis, processing, and fabrication of new materials and
systems. Recognizing this, it is imperative to accelerate the momentum and to
energize other areas of new-materials exploration and discovery of vital interest to
CMMP. The design and synthesis of novel systems are the foundation to address
all of the CMMP grand challenges. The energy challenge needs new materials for
storing hydrogen, thermoelectrics, organic light-emitting diode (LED) crystals, and
high-performance superconductors and ferromagnetics. Information technology
needs new materials for spintronic, organic, and molecular electronics that ex-
hibit quantum coherence properties suitable for quantum computation prototyp-
ing. Multiferroics, magnetic semiconductors, and half-metallic ferromagnets are
specific systems also of great interest to spintronics. As the art of crystal growth
matures into a science, the resulting insights might apply to the understanding of
the physics of soft-matter crystallization. Protein crystallography data collection at
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and
photon sources would benefit immensely from such a development. This example
highlights the multidisciplinary nature of the quest that brings together chemists,
biologists, engineers, and physicists. The new crystal discovery centers of the future
can be distributed, as are the nanocenters. The models for creating and operating
them might also benefit from examining the NSF NNIN and DOE NSRC models.
Presumably viable hybrid organizational structures will evolve that best serve the
particular materials missions of these future efforts. A target budgetary level per
year might be similar to that for NSF of its NNIN program, and for DOE a level
of the equivalent of one or two of its five NSRC facilities (for further discussion,
see Chapter 9).
Why is it imperative to move forward on a new-materials discovery agenda
now? The United States is not in a lead role in the creation of new materials. It needs
to recapture its lost status, because the consequences of delay and neglect are long-
term erosion of the U.S. competitive edge and a loss of intellectual property. New
materials invigorate all of the CMMP grand challenges. While new-materials dis-
covery is cross-disciplinary, at present there is no obvious academic home for new-
materials initiatives. This problem needs to be remedied. New-materials discovery
embraces theory and simulation in the sense of virtual fabrication. New materials
created via computer models, including electronic band structure codes, provide
insights and guidelines to direct the design of new materials in the laboratory.
The new-materials discovery centers of the future will also provide fertile training
grounds for future generations of graduate students. The nanocenters started the
culture change by emphasizing the creation of new materials. The transformation
needs to be extended to embrace the larger landscape of new-materials discovery
beyond the nano-realm. The time is ripe to focus on this strategic scientific goal,
to plan multidisciplinary team approaches, and to identify visionary management,
scientific advisers, and stakeholders, as stated above. Balance must be sought be-
tween support of the individual investigators and small groups of investigators
relative to centers, instrumentation, and major facilities investments.
Recommendations for Materials Synthesis and Nanocenters in CMMP Research
Nanoscience is a core discipline whose advances will affect all of the other
challenges, from emergent phenomena (Chapter 2) to information technology
(Chapter 7). The past decade has already seen significant federal investment in
nanotechnology infrastructure. Notable are the NSF-funded Nanoscale Science
and Engineering Centers and the National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Net-
work, as well as the new DOE-funded Nanoscale Science Research Centers at the
national laboratories. These facilities serve a critical need and deserve continued
support. Nanoscience by its very nature spans an enormously wide variety of
disciplines, from condensed-matter physics to engineering to chemistry and biol-
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ogy. This makes it all the more critical to develop an intellectual resource network
that allows scientists from one discipline to have access to the knowledge of all
of the others. There is need for training opportunities for students, postdoctoral
researchers, and faculty that allow them to reach beyond the standard disciplinary
boxes. There is also need to develop knowledge repositories like those that exist in
biology, where genomes and so on are stored and made widely available. The NSF
and DOE-funded nanoscience centers should take the lead in meeting these needs,
teaching short courses on particular techniques and subfields, as well as providing
repositories of information.
Recommendation: DOE and NSF should develop distributed national facili-
ties in support of the design, discovery, and growth of new materials for both
fundamental and applied CMMP research.12
Recommendation: DOE should evaluate the new NSRCs by metrics described
in Chapter 9. The National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO), in
its arrangement of the triennial review of the NNI, should evaluate all NNI-
funded centers and networks of centers by similar metrics.
Large-Scale High-Performance Computing Facilities
High-performance computing is well recognized as a prerequisite for scientific
and technological preeminence. High-priority, significant resources at the federal
level are therefore directed toward the ongoing development and maintenance
of state-of-the-art computational facilities for general scientific research, includ-
ing CMMP. In understanding how such resources address the needs of CMMP
researchers, it is important to note that large-scale computation is an important
component of many scientific fields that share these resources. Below, the com-
mittee describes the major U.S. high-performance computing facilities and shows
data as to how the available resources are shared among disciplines.
Current Status of Computing Facilities
The largest and most powerful systems define the limits of the types of compu-
tational studies that can be carried out at present. For the U.S. CMMP community,
these computational facilities are supported by NSF, DOE, and DOD.
Building on the system of NSF supercomputing centers of the 1990s, the devel-
12 The National Research Council study Assessment of and Outlook for New Materials Synthesis and
Crystal Growth will make detailed recommendations on how best to support this need. The report is
expected to be released in the summer of 2008.
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opment of the TeraGrid began in 2000 as the world’s largest, most comprehensive
distributed cyberinfrastructure for open scientific research. Partners in this dis-
tributed framework include the National Center for Supercomputing Applications
(NCSA) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the San Diego Super-
computer Center (SDSC) at the University of California at San Diego, Argonne
National Laboratory, the Center for Advanced Computing Research (CACR) at
the California Institute of Technology, Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center, Indiana
and Purdue Universities, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the Texas Advanced
Computing Center at the University of Texas at Austin. As of 2005, the TeraGrid
had about 1600 users. A relatively small fraction is used for materials and (all of)
physics research (see Figure 11.15).
DOE supports scientific computing primarily through the National Energy Re-
search Scientific Computing Center (NERSC) and through Leadership Computing
Facilities (LCF) at the national laboratories. NERSC is described by DOE as “one
of the largest facilities in the world devoted to providing computational resources
and expertise for basic scientific research,” with 2677 users in 2005. Reflecting the
broad DOE mission, a relatively small fraction of resources (about 9 percent) is
devoted to computation for materials research (see Figure 11.15).
At national laboratories, such as ORNL where materials are a larger compo-
nent of research, the fraction of resources at the LCF is correspondingly higher.
a b
FIGURE 11.15 (Left) National Science Foundation TeraGrid usage, by discipline, in FY 2005. NOTE:
“Computer & Info,” computer science and information technology. (Right) Department of Energy Na-
tional Energy Research Scientific Computing Center usage, by discipline, in 2005. NOTE: “Lattice QCD,”
lattice quantum chromodynamics. SOURCES: (Left) National Science Foundation TeraGrid. (Right)
National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
11.15 a,b
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At ORNL’s National Center for Computational Sciences, about 25 percent of the
center’s resources are used for materials computations. A number of the LCFs are
also partners in the NSF TeraGrid.
DOD has a large network of supercomputer centers (the High Performance
Computing Modernization Program) to support the computing needs of DOD
researchers, with 4550 users in 2005. Materials research falls in the category “CCM”
(Computational Chemistry, Biology, and Materials Science). The share for this
category can be seen in Figure 11.16.
While the focus of this discussion has been on high-performance computing,
there is much interesting and innovative work done in computational materials
that does not demand computational resources at the highest available level, but
where accessibility and throughput are key considerations. Much valuable work is
done at computing facilities at the state level, at individual universities, in depart-
ments, and by research groups. Support for computational facilities from sources
such as the NSF Major Research Instrumentation program should be encouraged,
and budgeting for computer equipment in theoretical and computational CMMP
FIGURE 11.16 FY 2006 Department of Defense high-performance computing requirements, alloca-
tions, and utilization breakdown for individual “computational technology areas.” Computational
Chemistry, Biology, and Materials Science (CCM) is third from the left; other areas are Computational
Structural Mechanics (CSM), Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), Computational Electromagnetics
and Acoustics (CEA), Climate/Weather/Ocean Modeling and Simulation (CWO), Signal/Image Process-
ing (SIP), Forces Modeling and Simulation (FMS), Environmental Quality Modeling and Simulation
(EQM), Electronics, Networking and Systems (ENS), and Integrated Modeling and Test Environments
(IMT). SOURCE: C.J. Henry, Department of Defense High Performance Computing Modernization
Program.
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individual and small-group proposals should be considered the norm. However,
this hierarchical structure, while it evolved largely to meet the needs of researchers,
does come with problems of its own. As computational power increases, issues of
professional systems administration and user support personnel for computing
clusters become increasingly important. The diversity of facilities can make the
system hard to navigate for researchers seeking resources. This latter challenge is
particularly common for computational junior faculty members starting careers
in computational CMMP.
CONCLUSIONS
The need for sophisticated tools (experimental, computational, and theoreti-
cal) to probe the structure and properties of materials over a wide range of length
scales is essential for continued progress in CMMP research. The new-generation
facilities (light and neutron sources, magnetic-field facilities, and electron micro-
scopes), which offer higher fluxes and energies, provide significant advantages with
regard to resolution, sensitivity, and data acquisition. Two additional challenges will
continue to be important in the future: the simultaneous measurement of structure
and dynamics over various time and length scales and dimensions, and the simul-
taneous measurement of structure and dynamics while the system is perturbed
independently by an external field (magnetic, stress, electric, and so on).
The synthesis, structure, and properties of materials are all intimately con-
nected, so researchers will increasingly need to be intimately familiar with this
entire spectrum of activities. Lessons learned from one class of materials will
increasingly be used to understand the behavior of seemingly different classes of
materials. For the first time in history, the complexity of CMMP is such that new
advances in the field will depend on strong support for large-scale facilities, mid-
scale facilities, interdisciplinary research centers, and individual investigators who
actually carry out the research. Students will have to understand computational
methods, together with the full spectrum of experimental endeavors (synthesis,
fabrication, and measurement) to become successful researchers.