Simultaneous thermodynamics and spectroscopy: angle-resolved photoemission under controlled uniaxial pressure

Rapid developments in experimental technology make possible something that only a few years ago would have been an unrealizable dream – combining thermodynamics and spectroscopy on the same samples.  It can be achieved by careful design of piezoelectrically actuated uniaxial pressure cells in which the top surface of the sample is exposed for spectroscopic measurement and a thermometer is mounted either on its sides or its bottom surface.  In the experiment envisaged in this project, the spectroscopy is angle-resolved photoemission [1], and the thermodynamic information will be obtained via the a.c. elastocaloric effect [2,3].  Samples will be microfabricated using focused ion beam techniques, which will also be used to produce weak spots for position-sensitive sample cleaving.  To access the small freshly cleaved areas for spectroscopic studies, we will benefit from modern techniques which tightly focus the incoming radiation.  The experiment will be technically demanding, but successfully implementing it will be a world ‘first’, opening entirely new scientific avenues.  The project will also give the successful applicant broad exposure to state-of-the-art technologies, allowing them to develop a skill-set that will be ideal for future academic or industrial research.