Who We Are

Welcome to the UWSP Solid State Ionics Research Laboratory, directed by Professor Robert Beeken. This investigative program for undergraduates has been in existence since 1987, supported in part by grants from Research Corporation and the National Science Foundation. Students are provided the opportunity to study ionic transport in solids and contribute significantly to fundamental investigations of the structural and electrical properties of ionically conducting materials.

X-ray Diffraction

 A fully automated system is designed to acquire diffraction patterns, fit experimental data to potential crystal lattices, calculate structural parameters, and match diffraction peaks to a database of 60,000 inorganic compounds.

Ionic Conductivity

A fully automated system incorporates a 0.10-20 kHz vector impedance meter operating in conjunction with a sample environment that can be stabilized within half a degree over the 100-500 K temperature range.

Research Alumni

Alumni of the UWSP solid state ionics research program typically continue studies in physics or materials science at the graduate level. Some enter industrial positions, while others pursue high school teaching careers. During the course of their undergraduate experience, program participants are encouraged to publish their scholarly contributions in standard scientific journals. In addition, many present papers or seminars at state, national, or international conferences. Recent program alumni are listed below along with their post-baccalaureate institution.

o        Joseph Dean, Florida State University

o        John Faludi, Lockheed-Martin Corporation

o        Josh Garbe, Sentry Insurance

o        Aaron Haase, University of Arkansas Law School

o        Brent Hoerman, Northwestern University

o        Bill Jetzer, University of Wisconsin-Madison

o        Slade Klawikowski, University of Wisconsin-Madison

o        David Lee, United States Army

o        Ken Menningen, University of Wisconsin-Madison

o        Chris Musson, Americorps

o        Nick Petersen, Centerline Machines

o        Wendy Schreier, Lockheed-Martin Corporation

o        Don Smith, University of Wisconsin-Madison

o        Susan Sulzer, University of Wisconsin-Madison

o        Mike Stoneman, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

o        Jared Tritz, University of Washington

o        Song Ming Wang, University of Iowa

Refereed Publications

o        Fast Ion Conduction in b-Ag₃SI_1-xBr_x Solid Solutions, R B Beeken and K L Menningen, Journal of Applied Physics 66, 5340 (1989).

o        Electrical Properties of Ag₅Te₂Cl and Ag₃TeBr, R B Beeken, S M Wang, and D R Smith, Solid State Ionics 53-56, 220 (1992).

o        Ionic Conduction in CuBrTe, CuITe, and CuITe₂, R B Beeken, J E Dean, W L Jetzer, D S Lee, and T Sakuma, Solid State Ionics 58, 189 (1992).

o        X-ray Diffraction Study of Low Temperature Phase Transitions in CuBrTe and CuITe, T Sakuma, T Kaneko, H Takahashi, K Honma, and R Beeken, Journal of the Physical Society of Japan 61, 4659 (1992).

o        Ionic Conduction in Cadmium-Substituted Ag₃SBr, R B Beeken, W L Jetzer, and D R Smith, Solid State Ionics 70-71, 176 (1994).

o        Ionic Conduction in Anion Substituted CuBrTe, R B Beeken, A T Haase, B H Hoerman, and S E Sulzer, Solid State Ionics 86-88, 83 (1996).

o        The Effect of Non-Stoichiometry in Ag₃SBr, R B Beeken, A T Haase, B H Hoerman, and S J Klawikowski, Solid State Ionics 113-115, 509 (1998).

o        Ionic Conduction in Cu_xAg_1-xBrTe Solid Solutions, A Murakami, T Sakuma, H Takahashi, Y Onoda, and R Beeken, Solid State Ionics 120, 61 (1999).

o        The Effect of Chloride Substitution in the Fast Ion Conductor Ag₃SBr, R B Beeken, T J Wright, and T Sakuma, Journal of Applied Physics 85, 7635 (1999).

o        Ionic Conductivity in Copper-Substituted Ag₃SBr, R B Beeken and E M Beeken, Solid State Ionics 136-137, 463 (2000).

o        Ionic Conductivity in Copper-Substituted Ag₂CdI₄, R B Beeken, J C Faludi, W M Schreier, and J M Tritz, Solid State Ionics 154-155, 719 (2002).

o        Cation Mobility in the Cu₆PS₅X (X = Cl, Br, I) Argyrodites, R B Beeken, J J Garbe, and N R Petersen, Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids 64, 1261 (2003).

o        Electrical Properties of the Ag₆PSe₅X (X = Cl, Br, I) Argyrodites, R B Beeken, J J Garbe, N R Petersen, and M R Stoneman, Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids 65, 1011 (2004).

o        Electrical Conductivities of the Ag₆PS₅X and the Cu₆PSe₅X (X = Br, I) Argyrodites, R B Beeken, J J Garbe, J M Gillis, N R Petersen, B W Podoll, and M R Stoneman, Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids 66, 882 (2005).

o        The Effect of Anion Substitution and Non-Stoichiometry in the Fast Ion Conductor Cu₆PSe₅I, R B Beeken and A T Lintereur, Journal of Applied Physics 100, 033522 (2006).

o        Electrical Conductivity of Ag₇PSe₆ and Cu₇PSe₆, R B Beeken, C R Driessen, B M Hinaus, and D E Pawlisch, accepted for publication in Solid State Ionics (2008).

Links to Related Sites

The International Society for Solid State Ionics brings together physicists, chemists, and engineers interested in the pure and applied aspects of ionically conducting materials.