New Experiment

I was trying to think of something I could write about that's new and this was one of the first things I thought of. Over the next few weeks I'll be preparing samples for an experimental method called LEAP (Local Electrode Atom Probe). It's a cool new way of obtaining compositional information about a sample with the added benefit of a third dimension. It used to be that I would take a piece of metal and run EPMA (Electron Probe MicroAnalysis) to generate a series of points spread across the sample. Each point is a composition measurement (basically, at each point I get a list of the elements that are present and the relative amounts). For instance, I'd get at point 1, 65.7% Nickel, 5.2% Aluminum, 3.1% Rhenium, etc. Then at point 2 I'd get 67.3% Nickel, 4.5% Aluminum, 2.6% Rhenium, etc. Using all the data from all the points I could get an understanding of how the composition (elemental makeup) varies across the surface of the sample.

LEAP is different. I make a long, thin "needle" out of my material and put a strong magnetic field across the tip of the needle. The field is so strong that it literally rips the atoms off the surface one-at-a-time. The machine can then detect what type of atom it is and, more importantly, where it is. The resulting data can be compiled into a 3-dimensional "map" of the needle. It will allow me to see the shape of the different particles and structures within my metal alloys. Very cool stuff.

LEAP is a very new technique. Only a handful of them are in use in the US. For me to get my data, I'll have to go to Texas where the LEAP is "owned" by a former UF professor that I know. I'm excited because this is cutting edge stuff and dovetails perfectly with my research on a topic that has been hinted at before, but never solved. LEAP might be the key to solving the problem. If nothing else, it's another line on my resume when I begin interviewing. Speaking of which...