What’s New @ CNMS

The CNMS is ever changing and growing to meet the evolving needs of our user community, including dramatic changes to the physical landscape in and around the facility, and with the addition of new capabilities and staff. Here are just a few highlights of what’s new at the CNMS since last year’s user meeting:

1. Construction of the new Joint Institute for Neutron Sciences (JINS) is nearly complete (opening July 2010). This will feature additional office space, a 50-person conference room, and 8 additional laboratories including new specimen preparation areas for SNS/CNMS users.

2. A new on-site cafeteria has opened and been in operation since January 1, 2010 on the ground floor of the SNS.

3. Additional laboratory space supporting the NRL will be available in the new 2nd floor build-out of the SNS.

4. Ground has broken and construction commenced on the new ORNL Guest House. It is expected to be fully operational in December 2010. For up-to-date information on the progress of this development, click here.

The Imagining Functionality Group has appointed two new staff members. Nina Balke is an expert in electromechanical and electrochemical imaging; Minghu Pan has expertise in variable temperature STM.

The Nanofabrication Research Laboratory recently procured an optical profilometer that, in addition to performing conventional profilometry, is equipped to perform dynamic measurements of nanomechanical systems. Contact Nick Lavrik for more information.

The Raith ELPHY system is now operational on the dual-beam FIB. Also of interest to the EBID community, a new IR diode pulsed laser will desorb organic ligands from substrates and purify samples on a monolayer-by-monolayer basis. Contact Jason Fowlkes for more information.

The Macromolecular Nanomaterials Group has recently purchased and installed on the Hitachi SEM a Microscopic Four-Point Probe (M4PP) system for measuring electrical properties of ultrathin films. Contact Jihua Chen for more information.

To learn more about your UEC click here for access to meeting minutes, past and current newsletters, our charter, a mailbox, and a list of active user projects.