Robert Meulenberg
Professor of Physics
Address: 5708 ESRB-Barrows, Room 251
Telephone: 207.581.2245
Email: robert.meulenberg@maine.edu
Education:
- 2002 Ph.D., University of California, Santa Barbara
- 1998聽 B.S., Florida State University
Research Interests:
- Electronic structure of nanoscale materials
- Surface and interfacial physics of nanostructures
- Novel materials for alternative energy applications
- Magnetometry and magnetic materials
- Synchrotron radiation (x-ray absorption, photoemission, and emission)
In the most general terms, the Meulenberg research group is involved in the understanding of both fundamental and applied physics and chemistry of nanoscale materials.聽 Meulenberg鈥檚 group currently has projects ranging from semiconductor plasmonics, nanomagnetism, silicon photonics, and mesoscopic chemistry and physics.聽 In addition, Meulenberg鈥檚 group has played an important role in utilizing element specific spectroscopic tools, such as x-ray spectroscopy, to probe the complex chemistry and physics of low dimensional solids.
To date, the Meulenberg research group has made large strides and impact in using advanced characterization methods towards probing the electronic structure of a host of nanoscale materials.聽 Most of the methods employed by the group involve synchrotron-based x-ray spectroscopy (absorption, emission, photoemission).聽 Most recently, Meulenberg and his students have been exploring both in situ/operando studies of chemical processes using x-ray absorption as well as utilizing time resolved (pump/probe) x-ray spectroscopy to probe charge carrier dynamics in nanomaterials.聽 To perform these measurements, travel to national or international facilities with synchrotron radiation sources is required.聽 Prof. Meulenberg has been successful in securing beamtime by writing user proposals that undergo a highly competitive and peer reviewed process.聽 Since his appointment began at 91福利, Meulenberg and his students have been awarded over 30 different synchrotron beamtimes in the United States, Canada, and Brazil.聽 In house, the group also has strong efforts in using magnetometry to probe magnetism and superconductivity in nanoscale materials.
Affiliated Research Links:
Current and Past Research Sponsors:
Recent Publications:
鈥淢echanistic Insight into Copper Cation Exchange in Cadmium Selenide Semiconductor Nanocrystals using X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy.鈥 A. Khammang, J. T. Wright, R. W. Meulenberg, submitted June 2020.
鈥淒ecoupling and Coupling of the Host-to-Dopant Interaction by Manipulating Dopant Movement in Core/Shell Quantum Dots.鈥 E. Hofman, A. Khammang, J. T. Wright, Z-J Li, P. F. McLaughlin, A. H. Davis, A. Chakraborty, R. W. Meulenberg, W. Zheng, J. Phys. Chem. Lett., ASAP article (2020).
鈥淧orous Organic Polymer Nanotrap for Efficient Extraction of Palladium.鈥 B. Aguila, Q. Sun, H. C. Cassady, C. Shan, Z. Liang, A. M. Al-Enizic, A. Nafadyc, J. T. Wright, R. W. Meulenberg, S. Ma, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., Early View article (2020).
鈥淓xciton Energy Shifts and Tunable Dopant Emission in Manganese Doped Two-Dimensional CdS/ZnS Core/Shell Nanoplatelets.鈥 A. H. Davis, E. Hofman, K. Chen, Z-J Li, A. Khammang, H. Zamani, J. M. Franck, M. M. Maye, R. W. Meulenberg, W. Zheng, Chem. Mater., 31, 2516-2523 (2019).
鈥淐omplete Dopant Substitution by Spinodal Decomposition in Mn-Doped Two-Dimensional CsPbCl3Nanoplatelets.鈥 Z-J Li, E. Hofman, A. H. Davis, A. Khammang, J. T. Wright, B. Dzikovski, R. W. Meulenberg, W. Zheng, Chem. Mater., 30, 6400-6409 (2018).
鈥淣ature of the positron state in CdSe quantum dots.鈥 W. Shi, V. Callewaert, B. Barbiellini, R. Saniz, W. Egger, M. Dickmann, C. Hugenschmidt, B. Shakeri, R. W. Meulenberg, E. Br眉ck, B. Partoens, A. Bansil, S. W.H. Eijt, Phys. Rev. Lett., 057401 (2018).
鈥淣ew insights into the nanostructure of innovative thin film solar cells gained by positron annihilation spectroscopy.鈥 S. W. H. Eijt, W. Shi, A. Mannheim, M. Butterling, H. Schut, W. Egger, C. Hugenschmidt, B. Shakeri, R. W. Meulenberg, B. Barbiellini, A. Bansil, J. Melskens, M. Zeman, A.M.H.Smets, M.Kulback, D.Cahen, E.Br眉ck, Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 791, 012021 (2017).
鈥淚mplications of Orbital Hybridization on the Electronic Properties of Doped Quantum Dots: the case of Cu:CdSe.鈥澛 J. T. Wright, K. Forsythe, J. Hutchins, R. W. Meulenberg, Nanoscale, 8, 9417-9424 (2016).
鈥淓耻3+ Doped ZnM2O4 (M = Al3+, Ga3+) Nanospinels, an efficient Red Phosphor.鈥 M. E. Foley, R. W. Meulenberg, J. McBride, G. F. Strouse, Chem. Mater. 27, 8362-8374 (2015).
鈥淎 closer look into the traditional purification process of CdSe semiconductor quantum dots.鈥 B. Shakeri, R.W. Meulenberg, Langmuir, 31, 13433-13440 (2015).
鈥淣anostructure and Bonding of Zirconium Diboride Thin Films by x-ray Absorption Spectroscopy.鈥 D. M. Stewart, R. W. Meulenberg, R. J. Lad, Thin Solid Films, 596, 155-159 (2015).
鈥淚n situ XANES and EXAFS Analysis of Redox Active Fe Center Ionic Liquids.鈥 C. Apblett, D. M. Stewart, R. T. Fryer, J. C. Sell, H. D. Pratt III, T. M. Anderson, R. W. Meulenberg, Electrochim. Acta, 185, 156-161 (2015).
鈥淢echanism of Initiation in the Phillips鈥 Ethylene Polymerization Catalyst: Redox Processes Leading to the Active Site.鈥 聽C. Brown, J. Krzystek, R. Achey, R. Fu,听R. W. Meulenberg, M. Polinski, N. Peek, Y. Wang, B. van de Burgt, S. Profeta, Jr., A. E. Stiegman, S. L. Scott, ACS Catal.,听5, 5574鈥5583 (2015).
Updated: August 2020
