Fr. Opeil Lab

On the 13th of April 2007 the Boston College Physics Department celebrated the completion of new experimental laboratories for both Dr. Willie Padilla and Fr. Cyril P. Opeil, S.J. with a festive open house. Many members of the department, college administration and Jesuit community were on hand to participate in this new scientific endeavor.

The new laboratory of Fr. Opeil, S.J., the first Jesuit priest to be hired in the any of the science departments in the last forty years, is located in the northeast corner of Higgins Hall on the first floor. Its windows open up on a view of the lower campus and Conte Forum. Fr. Opeil's laboratory occupies 1223 sq. ft. and is newly renovated to serve him in conducting research in condensed matter physics. His experimental interests include investigations into the physics of ferroelectric, thermoelastic, thermoelectric, and actinide materials.

The laboratory itself is separated into three rooms: north, middle and graduate student offices. In many ways the north room (541 sq. ft.) is the heart or center of the laboratory, because it houses a cryogenic refrigerator and its compressor. This refrigerator is made by Quantum Design and utilizes an EverCool Dewar system (2 – 400 K) and 9 T longitudinal magnet. To minimize the effects of building and room vibrations on the dewar, it rests on a half ton slab of granite supported by pneumatic springs. The EverCool Dewar and compressor allow continuous cryogenic experiments without the addition of further liquid helium or nitrogen. Current experimental capabilities for this cryogenic/magnet system are: resistivity, magneto-resistance with 360 degree rotation, dilatometry, resonant ultra-sound and evaluating thermoelectric materials for their efficiency or figure of merit, ZT. Also, housed in the north room is a spacious table for preparing experimental sample probes for the refrigerator. The compressor for the Quantum Design system, which is part of the system to re-liquefy helium, is located in a sound proof room and rests on a quarter ton block of granite to reduce machine vibration. Additional space in this compressor room exists for future vacuum pumps. A wall with several small windows between the north and middle rooms provides a sound block for the refrigerator noise and sight lines, for safety, to the rest of the laboratory.