WPlummer
Ward Plummer, Ph.D.

Ward Plummer, PhD,
Professor of physics

Ph.D., 1968 - Cornell University

Louisiana State University
Department of Physics & Astronomy
229-C Nicholson Hall, Tower Dr.
Baton Rouge, LA 70803-4001
(225) 578-3300-Office

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research interests

Experimental Condensed Matter and Materials Physics

Investigations of the phenomena associated with the unique environment at a surface or interface driven by broken symmetry and reduced dimensionality. Specifically of primary interest is the coupling of the electronic, magnetic, and structural properties (static and dynamic) at a surface.

This general theme is being applied by us to study correlated electron materials (CEMs) with functionalities like high-Tc superconductivity, "colossal" magnetoresistance, and coupled metal to insulator and magnetic transitions. The exotic behavior of CEMs is intimately related to the coexistence of competing nearly degenerate states which couple simultaneously active degrees of freedom, charge, lattice, orbital, and spin states. Our approach is to investigate and hopefully learn how to tune the functionality in these materials by using the manifestations of broken symmetry, reduced dimensionality and spatial confinement using a variety of experimental techniques couple closely with theory.

Current and Selected Publications

  • Jing Teng, Chen Chen, Yiming Xiong, Jiandi Zhang, Rongying Jin, and EW. Plummer, "Anomalous Surface Lattice Dynamics in the Low Temperature Phase of Ba(Fe1-xCox)2As2," Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences, accepted.

  • Huajun Qin, Junren Shi, Yanwei Cao, Kehui Wu, Jiandi Zhang, E. W. Plummer, J. Wen, Z. J. Xu, G. D. Gu, and Jiandong Guo, "Direct determination of electron-phonon coupling matrix elements in a correlated system," Phys. Rev. Letters, 105, 256402 (2010).

  • Vincent Meunier, M. H. Pan, F. Moreau, K. T. Park, and E. W. Plummer, "Evidence of Coulomb Blockade Behavior in a Quasi-Zero Dimensional Quantum Well on TiO2 Surface," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 107, 14968 (2010).

  • V. B. Nascimento, R. G. Moore, D. Mazur, J. W. Freeland, R. Saniz, H. Liu, K. E. Gray, R. A. Rosenbergy, H. Zheng, J. F. Mitchell, A. J. Freeman, J. Rundgren, and E. W. Plummer, "Surface-Stabilized Non-Ferromagnetic Ordering of a Layered Ferromagnetic Manganite," Phys. Rev. Letters, 103, 227201 (2009).

  • T. Z. Ward, X. G. Zhang, L. F. Yin, X. Q. Zhang, Ming Liu, P. C. Snijders, S. Jesse, E. W. Plummer, Z. H. Cheng, and J. Shen, "Time-Resolved Electronic Phase Transitions in Manganites," Phys. Rev. Letters, 102, 087201 (2009).

  • Z. Ward, S. H. Liang, K. Fuchigami, L. F. Yin, E. Dagotto, E. W. Plummer, and J. Shen, "Reemergent Metal-Insulator Transitions in Manganites Exposed with Spatial Confinement," Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 247204 (2008).

  • G. Moore, V. B. Nascimento, Jiandi Zhang, R. Jin, D. Mandrus, and E. W. Plummer, "The Manifestations of Broken Symmetry: Surface Phases of Ca2-xSrxRuO4," Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 066102 (2008).

  • R. G. Moore, Jiandi Zhang, V. B. Nascimento, R. Jin, Jiandong Guo, G. T. Wang, Z. Fang, D. Mandrus, and E. W. Plummer, "A Surface-Tailored Purely Electronic Mott Insulator-to-Metal Transition," Science 318, 615 (2007).

  • R. Matzdorf, Ismail, Jiandi Zhang, T. Kimura, Y. Tokura, Z. Fang, K. Terakura, and E. W. Plummer, "Ferromagnetism Stabilized by Lattice Distortion at the Surface of the p-Wave Superconductor Sr2RuO4," Science 289, 746 (2000).

  • J. M. Carpinelli, H. H. Weitering, E. W. Plummer, and R. Stumpf, "Direct Observation of a Surface Charge Density Wave," Nature 381, 398 (1996).