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Materials Science and Engineering Seminar

Dr. Zachary Morgan

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Abstract

As a complementary but rare technique, neutron scattering experiments offered at user facilities provide a unique insight into the characterization of materials. Combined with developments in position sensitive area neutron detectors, the single crystal diffraction technique provides an efficient probe of reciprocal space with many new prospects to study material structure at beamlines with complex sample environments enabled by advancements in data reduction, analysis, and visualization capabilities. These developments will be showcased using several recent examples ranging from frustration in magnetic materials to local ordering in compounds. The challenges associated with these efforts will be discussed along with unconventional approaches to better utilize beam time. Other opportunities enabled by a student project will be presented.

Bio

Zach is a Neutron Scattering Scientist for the Single Crystal Diffraction Group at Oak Ridge National Laboratory supporting single crystal diffraction scientific computing and software efforts at the Spallation Neutron Source and High Flux Isotope Reactor. His research focuses on disordered crystalline materials, diffuse scattering, frustrated magnetism, and the development of reduction and analysis tools. He is a contributor to the Mantid Project, an international collaboration on neutron scattering data reduction and visualization software. He currently serves as secretary of its Technical Working Group steering committee. He is a member of the American Physical Society (APS), The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS), and American Crystallographic Association (ACA).