Fernanda Foertter
I'm currently enrolled at Florida International University completing my Masters in Physics under Dr. Jiandi Zhang. My main research interest is Sub-monolayer deposition and characterization of oxides using a Pulsed Laser Deposition system and an STM. If you're lost after that mouthful, I'm basically going to use a laser to ablate an oxide target so this oxide will deposit on a substrate. I'll use an STM to look at what happened. If you are still lost, my research boils down to rust on a crystal, and a microscope that can see how it looks. And if you are still lost...well, you'll have to just accept what I said to be true.
My substrate will be Nb:STO and I'm currently on the substrate preparation phase of my research. I need to learn how to accurately etch this to get steps about 100nm wide. Why? Because when I use the PLD system to deposit SRO3 onto STO, I'll do so just right so I can see the growth modes and perhaps get some measurements. It is still unclear to me what sort of measurements I'll be able to get with a sub-monolayer deposition, but I guess that's what research is all about.
You can find out more about my day-day research in the Research Blog section. Even though I'm done with all my classes but one, I'm still in the very beginning stage of my research. There are several reasons why, but primarely because I'm the first in this group to start this. My advisory started this PLD stage of the lab in 2003. I was lucky enough to join him in the beginning and I actually ordered many of the parts you see here and put them together with my colleagues! What a great opportunity that was. In fact, the base that Laser is sitting on I designed it myself! Not bad for a girl ;)
My substrate will be Nb:STO and I'm currently on the substrate preparation phase of my research. I need to learn how to accurately etch this to get steps about 100nm wide. Why? Because when I use the PLD system to deposit SRO3 onto STO, I'll do so just right so I can see the growth modes and perhaps get some measurements. It is still unclear to me what sort of measurements I'll be able to get with a sub-monolayer deposition, but I guess that's what research is all about.
You can find out more about my day-day research in the Research Blog section. Even though I'm done with all my classes but one, I'm still in the very beginning stage of my research. There are several reasons why, but primarely because I'm the first in this group to start this. My advisory started this PLD stage of the lab in 2003. I was lucky enough to join him in the beginning and I actually ordered many of the parts you see here and put them together with my colleagues! What a great opportunity that was. In fact, the base that Laser is sitting on I designed it myself! Not bad for a girl ;)
Me and the Excimer Laser