Carlo U. Segre

Classes: Fall 2009

• PHYS 100-1 - Introduction to the Profession
  Introduction to the physical sciences, scientific method, computing tools, and the interrelations of physics with other professions. The class meets in Room 240 Life Sciences Building from 11:25-12:40pm on Fridays and there will be additional laboratory time scheduled in Room 112 Life Sciences Building.
• PHYS 223-1 - General Physics III: Thermal, Optics and Modern Physics
  This is the third course in the 3 semester General Physics sequence primarily intended for Physics and MBB majors. The class meets in Room 245 Engineering 1 Building from 01:50-03:05pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. There also is a recitation/laboratory meeting time at 8:35am-11:15am on Fridays This course will have laboratory and recitation every week.

The Physicist's Advice Column

Are you interestd in studying physics or becoming a physicist? As an advisor to undergraduate and graduate physics students, I have heard and answered many questions over the years. You can email me at segre@iit.edu and I will try my best to answer. Please let me know if you are willing to have your question and my answer posted for all to see.

Topics might include:

• Can I get involved in research as an undergraduate?
• How do I choose a graduate program?
• I am interested in X, can I specialize as an undergraduate?

Biographical Information

I am a "midwesterner", having spent my early years in Lincoln, Nebraska; Madison, Wisconsin; and Urbana, Illinois. I received my B.S. in physics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1976. I then entered my bi-coastal period, first obtaining a Ph.D. in physics from the University of California, San Diego in 1981 Professors Bernd Matthias and M. Brian Maple and then spending two years as a post-doc with Prof. Mark Croft at Rutgers University in New Jersey. I have been on the IIT faculty since 1983 with a one-year sabbatical in Trieste, Italy at the International Centre for Theoretical Physics. I have over 90 refereed publications. A full Curriculum Vitae is also available.

Education:
B.S. in Physics, 1976, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
B.S. in Chemistry, 1976, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
M.S. in Physics, 1977, University of California, San Diego
Ph.D. in Physics, 1981, University of California, San Diego

Professional Societies:
American Physical Society
American Association for the Advancement of Science
Sigma Xi (President of IIT Chapter)
International Centre for Diffraction Data (Fellow)

Research Interests:
My research centers around the structure and electronic properties of complex materials including superconducting, magnetic and catalytic materials.
Experimental techniques used in my research include; material synthesis through arc-melting, powder metallurgy and advanced chemical methods; thin film deposition by laser and pseudo-spark ablation and sputtering; structural characterization of the samples performed by x-ray powder diffraction and xray absorption fine structure; and measurement of electronic properties by resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, and x-ray absorption spectroscopy. Specific topics of interest include:

• in-situ structural studies of catalytic materials for use in fuel cells;
• structural and electronic properties of magnetoelectric materials and other perovskite materials prepared in the form of nanoparticles and thin films;
• local structural studies of structural materials for use in nuclear reactors, including in-situ corrosion studies and characterization of nano-crystalline inclusions in steels;
• development of x-ray optics for synchrotron radiation experimentation.

I also am an active participant in the IIT Center for Synchrotron Radiation Research and Instrumentation (CSRRI) and I serve as Deputy Director of the Materials Research Collaborative Access Team (MRCAT) which operates an experimental facility for materials research at the Advanced Photon Source (APS). I have been involved in the development of crystal optic devices for delivery and detection of x-rays at synchrotron beamlines.

Finally, I am a Debian Developer. I package scientific data analysis software for the Debian GNU/Linux Project.

Last Update Apr. 4, 2009 by segre@iit.edu