Physics Department Personnel

Fr. Cyril P. Opeil, S.J.

Assistant Professor

617-552-8450
Higgins Hall 330K
opeil@bc.edu

Prof. Opeil's Lab Website

Education

• Post-Doctoral Research Assistant
  Los Alamos National Laboratory, 2004-2006
  (Advisers: J. L. Smith and R. K. Schulze)
• Ph.D., Experimental Physics 
  Boston College, 2004
  (Adviser: M. J. Graf)
• S.T.M.,  Masters in Theological Anthropology
  Graduate Theological Union
  Jesuit School of Theology, Berkeley, 1994
• M. Div., Master of Divinity
  Graduate Theological Union
  Jesuit School of Theology, Berkeley, 1993
• B.S., Electronics Engineering
  University of Scranton, Scranton,  1982

Research Interests

Electron Structure in the Light Actinides

My current research using x-ray and electron photoemission spectroscopy at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) focuses on exploring the electron structure of the valence (d and f ) electrons in single crystal Uranium. Current band structure model calculations such as WIEN2K can not fully account for the actinide valence electron behaviors. By comparing experimental data and model calculations, we endeavor to create a new band model that will better predict electron valence behaviors across the actinide series.

Building a Laboratory

My experiment laboratory, currently under development/construction in Higgins 130D, will enable low-temperature ~ 2 – 350 K resistance, dilatometry and resonant ultrasound (RUS) measurements under magnetic fields of 9T.  Magnetic field and low temperatures will be attained by utilizing a Quantum Design Evercool PPMS.  RUS measurements are planned using a Quasar International RUSpec apparatus adapted for high (2000 K) and low temperature (2 -350 K) measurements. The ultrasound technique utilizes high frequency sound and monitors mechanical response to determine fundamental thermodynamic properties (elastic moduli) of a material characteristics. 

Future Research

My research plans are directed at avalanche transitions (see: Perkovic et al., PRL 75, 4528, 1995) probed by ultrasonic techniques in magnetic fields such as: ultrasonic attenuation (see: Stenger et al., PRB 57, 2735, 1998), pulse-echo (Keck et al., PR 185, 1083, 1969), and resonant ultrasound spectroscopy, (Migliori et al., PRL 64 , 2458, 1990).  In particular, RUS is a technique by which the complete elastic tensor is determined from the spectrum of the mechanical resonances of an object.  A numerical procedure is used to generate the expected frequency spectrum for a given set of elastic moduli, cij, and comparison with data of known crystal symmetries and orientations provides the matrix cij consistent with the measurement.

My future research will focus on two specific classes of multiferroic materials: magnetoelectrics and thermoelastics.  These two classes are related in that they undergo structural phase transformations and both unit cell strain and intra-unit cell distortions (shuffles) are essential for understanding materials behavior. Whereas thermoelastics provide a deeper insight into the role of strain and shuffle modes, multiferroics underline the interplay between spin and charge.  For example, the series RMnO3, (where: R = Tb, Dy, Gd, Ho) has strong magnetoelectric coupling and exhibits giant magnetoelectric and capacitive effects.  It is possible to search for new magnetoelectric materials by focusing on previously identified insulating magnetic systems, especially compounds with higher temperature transitions that may be integrated into potential device applications.  The thermoelastic alloys (transition based -phase binary alloys such as AuZn, AuCd, AgZn) display signatures of the interplay of strains and shuffles with electronic properties and the strength of this coupling has recently been determined (see: Goddard et al., PRL 94, 116401, 2005).  Thus, a mechanism for the role of conduction electrons through a metastable transition is understood, particularly in the presence of high magnetic fields.  As part of this project I will investigate new thermoelastic alloys that have enhanced properties such as deformability, greater recoverability of transformation strain, and transition temperature, all of which are controlled by the conduction electrons in external fields.

Selected Publications

• "Evidence for the Existence of a Magnetic Quantum Critical Point in U(Pt1-xPdx)3," C. P. Opeil and M. J. Graf, Physica B 319, 246 (2002).
• "Onset of Antiferromagnetism in UPt3 via Th-Substitution: Studied by Muon Spin Spectroscopy," M. J. Graf,  A. de Visser, C. P. Opeil, J. C. Cooley, J. L. Smith, A. Amato, C. Baines, F. Gygax, and A. Schenck,  Phys. Rev. B 68, 224421 (2003).
• "Crossover from Anomalous to Conventional Antiferromagnetism in Pd-doped UPt3 Studied via Cantilever Magnetometry," C. P. Opeil, A. de Visser, M. J. Naughton, and M. J. Graf  J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 272-276, 244 (2004).
• "Magnetic Anisotropy and de Haas-van Alphen Oscillations in a Bi Microwire Array Studied via Cantilever Magnetometry at Low Temperatures," M. J. Graf, C. P. Opeil, T. Huber,  J. Low Temp. Phys. 134 (516), 1055 (2004).
• "Inhomogeneous Magnetic Order in Th-Doped UPt3 Detected by μSR," A. de Visser, M. J. Graf, C. P. Opeil, J. C. Cooley, J. L. Smith, A. Amato, C. Baines, F. Gygax, A. Schenck,  Physica B 359-361, 1063 (2005).
• "Photoemission Spectroscopy on Single Crystal Uranium (001)," R. K. Schulze, C. P. Opeil, R. C. Albers, B. Mihaila, K. B. Blagoev, M. E. Manley, J. C. Lashley, J. L. Smith (Los Alamos National Laboratory), P. B. Littlewood (Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge) Austria Institute für Physikalische Chemie, Universität Wien, Austria and MSI, Materials Science International Services GmbH, Stuttgart, Germany, May, 2005, Conference Proceedings: 2005 Journées des Actinides, Schloss Weikersdorf, Baden/Wien, Austria. ISBN: 3-932120-46-9.
• "Low-Dimensional Phonon Specific Heat of Titanium Dioxide Nanotubes," C. Dames, B. Poudel, W. Z. Wang, J. Y. Huang, Z. F. Ren, Y. Sun, J. I. Oh, C. P. Opeil, M. J. Naughton, and G. Chen, Appl. Phys. Lett. 87, 031901 (2005).
• "Pinning Frequencies of the Collective Modes in α-Uranium," B. Mihaila, C. P. Opeil, F. R. Drymiotis, J. L. Smith, J. C. Cooley, A. Migliori, C. Mielke, T. Lookman, A. Saxena, A. R. Bishop, K. B. Blagoev, D. J. Thoma, P. Goddard, and J. C. Lashley (Los Alamos National Laboratory)  B. E. Lang, J. Boerio-Goates, and B. F. Woodfield (Brigham Young University),  G. M. Schmiedeshoff (Occidental College), Physi. Rev. Lett. 96, 076401 (2006).
• "Valence-Band UPS, 6p Core-Level XPS, and LEED of a Uranium (001) Single Crystal,"  C. P. Opeil, R. K. Schulze, M. E. Manley, J. C. Lashley,  W. L. Hults, R. J. Hanrahan, Jr., J. L. Smith, B. Mihaila, K. B. Blagoev, R. C. Albers (Los Alamos National Laboratory), P. B. Littlewood (Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge), Phys. Rev. B 73, 165109 (2006).
• "Photoelectric Effect in Uranium," C. P. Opeil, R. C. Albers, K. B. Blagoev, M. Gulácsi, J. C. Lashley, P. B. Littlewood,   M. E. Manley, B. Mihaila, P. S. Riseborough, R. K. Schulze, D. J. Thoma, H. M. Volz and J. L. Smith,  J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 75, 56-57 (2006).
• "Tricritical Phenomenon at the Transition in Ce0.9-xLaxTh0.1 Alloys," J. C. Lashley, A. C. Lawson, J. C. Cooley, B. Mihaila, C. P. Opeil, L. Pham, W. L. Hults, J. L. Smith (Los Alamos National Laboratory), G. M. Schmiedeshoff (Occidental College), F. R. Drymiotis (Clemson University), G. Chapline (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory), S. Basu, and P. S. Riseborough (Temple University), Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 235701 (2006).
• "Angle-Resolved Photoemission and First-Principles Electronic Structure of α-U(001)," C. P. Opeil, R. K. Schulze, H. M. Volz, J. C. Lashley, M. E. Manley, W. L. Hults, R. J. Hanrahan, Jr., J. L. Smith, B. Mihaila, K. B. Blagoev, R. C. Albers, and P. B. Littlewood, Phys. Rev. B 75, 045120 (2007).
• "Heat Capacity in Magnetic and Electric Fields near the Ferroelectric Transition in Triglycine Sulfate," J. C. Lashley, M. F. Hundley, B. Mihaila, J. L. Smith, C. P. Opeil, T. R. Finlayson, R. A. Fisher and N. Hur, Appl. Phys. Lett. 90, 052910 (2007).
• "Electronic Instabilities in Shape-Memory Alloys: Thermodynamic and Electronic Structure Studies of Martensitic Transition," J. C . Lashley, R. K. Schulze, B. Mihaila, W. L. Hults, J. C. Cooley, J. L. Smith, P. S. Riseborough, C. P. Opeil, R. A. Fisher, O. Svitelskiy, A. Suslov, T. R. Finlayson, Phys. Rev. B 75, 205119 (2007).
• Reply to Comment on "Pinning Frequencies of the Collective Modes in α-Uranium," J. C. Lashley, B. Mihaila, C. P. Opeil, F. R. Drymiotis, and J. L. Smith, Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 249702 (2007).
• "Combined Experimental and Theoretical Investigation of the Premartensitic Transition in Ni2MnGa," C. P. Opeil, B. Mihaila, R. K. Schulze, L. Manosa, A. Planes, W. L. Hults, R. A. Fisher, P. S. Riseborough P. B. Littlewood, J. L. Smith, and J. C. Lashley, Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 165703 (2008). 
• "Observation of a Continuous Phase Transition in a Shape-Memory Alloy," J. C. Lashley, S. M. Shapiro, B. L. Winn, C. P. Opeil, M. E. Manley, A. Alatas, W. Ratcliff, T. Park, R. A. Fisher, B. Mihaila, P. Riseborough, E. K. H. Salje, and J. L. Smith, Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 135703 (2008).
• "Angle-Dependent Magneto-Resistance near the Pre-Martensitic Phase of Ni2MnGa," C. P. Opeil, J. C. Lashley, J. L. Smith, J. Phys. Conf. Ser. 150, 042109 (2009).

Invited Talks

2008 • Symposium on Correlated Electron Physics, Santa Fe, NM, Topic: Heavy Fermion and Antiferromagnetic Crossover Behaviors. August 27, 2008.

2007 • Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, PA, Topic: Magneto-Striction and Charge Density Wave Behavior at the Pre-Martensite Transition in Ni2MnGa. October 26, 2007.

2007 • CalCon - The 62nd Calorimetry Conference (August 4 - 9, 2007) Honolulu, HI, Topic: Calorimetry of Ferromagnetic Heuslers in High Magnetic Fields: Observation of a Pseudo-gap in Ni2MnGa.  August 06, 2007.

2006 • University of Barcelona, Spain, Topic: ARPES on U and the Pseudogap in Ni2MnGa. June 03, 2006. 

2006 • Georgetown University Science Lecture Series, Topic: LEED, ARPES and WIEN2K Band Structure Calculation of  α - Uranium (001). January 31, 2006, Georgetown University, Reiss Science Building.

2005 • LANL Workshop on Correlated Electron Effects for Anomalous Properties of Elemental Actinides, May 23-25, 2005, Los Alamos, NM  Topic: ARPES on Single Crystal Uranium and Other New Results (Workshop Organizers:  K. B. Blagoev, B. Mihaila, C.P. Opeil & J. L. Smith).

2004 • CalCon - The 59th Calorimetry Conference, June 27 - July 1, 2004, Santa Fe, NM, Topic: Specific Heat, Antiferromagnetism and Quantum Critical Behavior in U(Pt1-xPdx)3.

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