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Cindi L. Dennis (Fed)
Research Physicist
Research Interests:
My research interests are in the characterization of magnetic materials, from 0D to 3D, including the development of quantitative measurement methods and SI-traceability through Standard Reference Materials. Materials range from metallo-organic frameworks, nano-objects, including nanoparticles and nanowires and polymer-magnetic nanoparticle nanocomposites for biomedical applications and thermometry, thin films for spintronics applications and nanomagnetic logic, and bulk materials for the magneto-caloric effect, as permanent magnets, as ultra-soft magnets, as spin glasses, and as superconductors.
For example, in biomedical applications of magnetic nanoparticles, I have focused on the fundamental characterization methods such as:
(a) What are the measurement methods for quantifying parameters of interest like the blocking temperature, anisotropy, normalization for saturation magnetization, etc.?
(b) How does one quantify these fundamental parameters for both individual nanoparticles and collections of nanoparticles?
(c) What are the measurement methods for quantifying distributions in magnetic properties (e.g. coercivity, interactions, etc.) from a particular synthesis?
(d) What are the quantitative characterization methods for particular biomedical applications (e.g. calorimetry for quantifying heat output in hyperthermia, measuring T1 and T2 for MRI contrast agents, etc.)
For example, in spintronics, I have focused on spin injection into semiconductors, including:
(a) What are the spin decoherence mechanisms (both experimental and theoretical) across the interfaces and within the semiconductor and how do you minimize them?
(b) What measurement artifacts that obscure a true spin injection signal?
(c) How does this apply to device design and its efficiency?
Current Projects:
Thermal MagIC: An SI-Traceable Method for 3D Thermal Magnetic Imaging and Control
NRC Research Opportunities Include:
50.64.21.B1965 Domain Imaging of Magnetic Materials
50.64.21.B6958 Magnetic Nanoparticles for Biomedical Applications
50.64.21.B5607 Magnetic Nanotechnology
50.64.21.B1964 Magnetic Structure of Alloys
50.64.21.B5606 Spintronics