Miniature High pressure Diamond Anvil Cell (DAC) employed in the PI’s research

1. Magnetite under high pressure: An insight into physics of magnetite.Lev Gasparov, University of North Florida, DMR 0805073 In 2009-2010 the high pressure studies of magnetite allowed the PI to get an insight into the physics of the Verwey transition: a phase transformation that remains unexplained since its discovery in 1939. The PI’s high pressure Raman studies of pure and Al-doped magnetite yielded the entropy change at the Verwey transition. This parameter is directly related to the ordering that takes place at the phase transition. A change of this important thermodynamic parameter with Al doping allows one to understand the processes that take place at the transition and therefore to obtain insight into the mechanism of the transition. Such an understanding is critical for the progress of condensed matter physics in general and for understanding the physics of magnetite, the iron oxide that is one of the major building blocks of the planet. Miniature High pressure Diamond Anvil Cell (DAC) employed in the PI’s research Change of the Verwey transition with the pressure In pure and Al-doped magnetite

2. Magnetite under high pressure: An insight into physics of magnetite.Lev Gasparov, University of North Florida, DMR 0805073 Broader Impact: In 2009-2010 two undergraduate students, Zhanna Shirshikova (female) and Billy Olsen actively participated in the PI’s research. The REU supplement allowed for both Zhanna and Billy to take part in a two week research trip to Germany where they visited Aachen University (RWTH-Aachen) and Cologne University. During the trip the students, aside of participating in the PI’s research, learned about a number of experimental techniques that are unavailable at UNF. The trip provided international exposure for the UNF undergraduates. The results obtained in 2009-2010 were presented at the March APS meeting as well as at the Low Energy Electrodynamics in Solids conference in Switzerland. Both presentations were coauthored by the UNF undergraduates. The manuscripts describing these results are currently being prepared by the students and the PI. UNF undergraduates working in the Raman laboratory of the Aachen technical University in Germany