Thomas Masden, SIUC Department of Physics

Research is being conducted into the electrical properties of thin films and wires. Thin films and wires of rare earth metals have been investigated at low temperatures and additional transition is observed in the magnetic ordering of thin films and wires which is not observed in the bulk material. Other studies are underway to better understand giant magnetoresistance which is observed in superlattices such as Fe-Cr. We are also looking for other materials which display this behavior in order to increase this effect at lower fields. Such a material would have many practical applications. Technique employed include electron beam evaporation in ultra high vacuum conditions, ion beam sputtering, ion beam milling and low temperature resistance and magnetoresistance measurements under computer control.