04/12/2021
By Joanne Gagnon-Ketchen
Location: Contact Joanne Gagnon-Ketchen for link.
“Probing functional materials using spectroscopy at extreme condition,“ Komalavalli Thirunavukkuarasu, Assistant Professor, Florida A&M University
Abstract: Low-energy spectroscopy at extreme conditions opens door to discovery and understanding of novel phenomena in condensed matter physics. Combining spectroscopy with one or more external parameters such as low temperature, high pressure, and high magnetic fields, allows us to continuously induce perturbations to probe properties of materials across their phase diagram. Among low-energy spectroscopic techniques, THz, infrared (IR) spectroscopy, Raman scattering, and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy are powerful tools to investigate the fundamental energy scales involved in the interplay of charge, spin, lattice and orbital degrees of freedom. In this colloquium, I will present brief introduction to the above-mentioned spectroscopic techniques and discuss examples of investigations on functional materials where at least one of the extreme conditions were employed together with the spectroscopic techniques.
Bio: Komalavalli Thirunavukkuarasu (KT) is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Physics, Florida A&M University (FAMU) since January 2016. KT obtained her bachelor’s degree in Physics at Madras University, India and her master’s degree at Indian Institute of Technology Madras, India and University of Stuttgart, Germany. She obtained her doctorate at University of Augsburg, Germany in 2009. She arrived in Tallahassee to work at National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (Maglab) with a prestigious Feodor-Lynen Fellowship from Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. This fellowship is awarded to excellent German early career scientists to pursue their research interests outside Germany. She was later offered an Associate in Research position at Maglab until her hire at FAMU.
Her research focuses on low-energy spectroscopy on functional materials at extreme conditions. She studies materials such as molecular magnets, carbon-based nanostructures, multiferroics etc., using THz, IR, Raman and EPR spectroscopies at low temperature, high pressure and/or high magnetic fields. KT has acquired more than $1.4M in research funding and has supervised several undergraduate and graduate students in Physics. KT continues to drive strong collaborative research efforts with Maglab as well as Chemical and Biomedical Engineering department in FAMU-FSU college of engineering while holding an affiliate appointment at both places. KT continues to actively participate in university, professional and community service activities that improve the scientific environment for young students and researchers, especially, the underrepresented minorities.