Marc A. Robert

Research Interests:

• Phase transitions
• Magnetism and ferroelectricity
• Disordered systems
• Magnetic nanoclusters
• Carbon nanotubes
• Colloids, polymers, DNA, and proteins
• Symmetry breaking in quantum field theory

Education:

• Dipl. (1975) Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich
• Ph.D. (1980) Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne

Our research is concerned with theoretical, experimental and computer simulation studies of the properties of matter.

Of particular current interest are magnetic nanoclusters and carbon nanotubes, polymer, DNA, protein, and colloidal systems, ferroelectrics and disordered systems.

The properties of magnetic nanoclusters embedded in metallic or semiconducting solids are facsinating, in particular due to the fact that the effective interactions are temperature dependent and lead to a rich variety of phase transitions.

Like atomic or molecular systems, polymer, colloidal, DNA and protein systems exist as liquid-, gas- or solid-like phases, and exhibit phase transitions between them. We study theoretically and experimentally the microscopic structure, phase transitions and transport properties (such as diffusion) of these systems in two and three dimensions.

In investigations of the thermodynamic and structural properties of thin solid films, Professor Robert and Professor Rabson, of the Electrical Engineering Department at Rice, study ferroelectric materials deposited on various metallic or semiconducting substrates.

With Dr. Payandeh, we study symmetry breaking in quantum field theory.

Selected Publications

1. B.H. Chen, B. Payandeh, M. Robert, "Order Parameter and Interfacial Tension of a Colloid-Polymer System," Physical Review E, 62 (2000): 2369-2373
2. S. Wang, T.A. Rabson, Q. Su, M. Robert , "Theory and Experiment of High-Frequency Surface Acoustic Wave Propagation Using LiNbO3 Thin Films on Diamond/Silicon Substrates," Integrated Ferroelectrics, 27 (1999): 377
3. J.-T. Lee, Q. Su, T.A. Rabson, M. Robert , "Low-Temperature Deposition of (110)-Oriented Barium Titanate Thin Films and their Electrical Properties ," Integrated Ferroelectrics, 24 (1999): 75-84
4. S. Wang, T.A. Rabson, Q. Su, M. Robert , "Deposition of LiNbO3 Thin Films on Diamond/Si(100) Substrates for High-Frequency Surface Acoustic Wave Filter Applications," Integrated Ferroelectrics, 25 (1999): 37-46
5. Jiun-Ting Lee and M. Robert, "Phase Transitions of Colloid-Polymer Systems in Two Dimensions," Physical Review E, 60 (1999): 7198-7203
6. S. Wang, T. A. Rabson, Q. Su, and M. Robert, "Growth and Characterization of Lithium Niobate Thin Films on Diamond/Si(100) Substrates," MRS Symposium Proceedings on Ferroelectric Thin Films, 541 (1999): 717-722
7. "Carbon Nanotube Magnets," patent, filing in progress with the U.S. Patent Office,
8. Q. Sin and T.A. Rabson, "Growth and Electrical Properties of (211) BaTiO3 Thin Films on Pt-Coated Si (100) Substrates," , Integrate Ferroelectric 18, 415, (1998)
9. S. Wang, Q. Su and T.A. Rabson, "Deposition of LiNbO3 Thin Films on Diamond/Si (100) Substrates," , Ferroelectric Thin Films, vol. 1 .

CHEMICAL & BIOMOLECULAR ENGINEERING DEPT. MS-362
Rice University PO Box 1892 Houston, Texas 77251-1892	E-mail: chbe@rice.edu	Phone: (713) 348-4902 FAX:(713) 348-5478