(Edmonton) This summer, Department of Physics grad student Brad Hauer won the award for best student presentation at the 2012 Canadian Association of Physicists Congress.
Hauer's presentation was first named best in his field at the congress, then out of all the fields represented there.
It was based on a paper that he co-authored by members of a condensed matter physics research group headed by assistant professor John Davis.
The group, which includes research associate Abdul Suhel and grad student Tushar Biswas, built an apparatus that allowed them to measure the motion of high-stress bearing silicon nitride nanostrings. This practical result was part of a more fundamental physics investigation.
"The better you understand the material, the better you understand dissipation mechanisms," says Hauer.
The first year Masters of Science student is also building an optomechanical atomic force microscope (AFM) designed to enhance the resolution that can be achieved by an AFM instrument. Invented in 1986, AFM has become an important tool in nanoscale research and fabrication.
"By introducing optomechanical detection to AFM, we are hoping to improve the sensitivity of the instrument," says Hauer. "We hope that by increasing the sensitivity of conventional AFM, we will be able to improve the resolution of AFM, allowing us to probe deeper into interesting systems, such as DNA and graphene, which are on the forefront of modern science."
Hauer, who was born in Edmonton and raised in nearby Leduc, says the field of condensed matter physics appealed to him with a combination of conceptual and practical interests.
"I enjoy exploring the mysteries of quantum mechanics in both condensed matter and optical systems," he says. "Also, I enjoy the hands-on, small experiments that allow for both the exploration of interesting physics, as well as having the control and freedom to build and design your own experiment."
All the work is funded by the University of Alberta Faculty of Science, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the National Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and the Canada School of Energy and the Environment (CSEE).