Scientific research

Electronic properties as probes of matter

Can a measurement of the work function reveal melting, isotope effects, and quantum lattice motion? My dissertation investigates this question using isolated metal nanoparticles.

Selected work

Three connected investigations

Experimental method

High-precision photoionization

Developing a stable, temperature-controlled nanoparticle beam and Fowler-threshold analysis with ~0.2% reported precision.

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Phase transitions

Melting in sodium and potassium

Detecting nanoparticle melting through changes in electronic work function.

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Quantum lattice dynamics

Lithium isotope effect

Comparing ⁶Li and ⁷Li to identify physics beyond thermal expansion alone.

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PhD dissertation · USC · 2026

Temperature-dependent photoionization

The complete dissertation connects measurement technique, finite-size thermodynamics, and quantum effects.

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