Experimental research covers a wide class of materials, ranging from organometallic polymers to superconducting alloys. Particular emphasis is being placed on studies of linear chain antiferromagnets, such as CsNiCl₃, to elucidate the nature of magnon-phonon interactions in these compounds. A number of different techniques are being used in this work, including ultrasonic attenuation and velocity measurements, thermal expansion and magnetostriction studies as well as Brillouin scattering experiments.

Another active area of research pertains to interfacial reactions in soldered joints. Currently, measurements are being made in the lead-tin system using the superconducting properties of the resulting alloy phases formed at the interface to monitor the reaction kinetics. These data are being supplemented by synchrotron x-ray, Auger and optical experiments.

Selected Publications

White, G.K. and J.A. Rayne, "Low Temperature Thermal Expansion of CuAl2," Cryogenics, 32: 412 (1992).

Tun, Z., W.J.L. Buyers, A. Harrison and J.A. Rayne, "Observation of the Haldane Gap in RbNiCl₃," To be published in Phys. Rev. B.

Collocott, Stephen J. and John A. Rayne, "Electronic Specific Heat of Gamma Phase Copper-Cadmium Alloys," Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Low Temperature Physics, Kyoto, 1987.

Collocott, S.J. and J.A. Rayne, "Low Temperature Heat Capacity of Linear-Chain Magnetic Compounds CsNiCL₃, RbNiCl₃, and CoCuCl₃." J. Appl. Phys. 66: 4044 (1987).

Lee, S.A., H.E. Jackson and J.A. Rayne, "Spin-Phonon Interactions Near the One Dimensional Antiferromagnetic Ordering in CsNiCl₃," Solid State Communications 55: 771 (1985).

Mountfield, K.R. and J.A. Rayne, "Low Temperature Heat Capacity of Copper-Aluminum Alloys," Proc. of the LT17, Stuttgart, Germany, June 1984, U. Eckern, A. Schmid, W. Weber, H. Wuhl, eds., North-Holland Publishing Co., p1387.

Rayne, J.A., J.G. Collins and G.K. White, "Low Temperature Magnetostriction in CsNiCl₃ and RbNiCl₃," J. Appl. Phys. 55: 2404 (1984).

Mountfield, K.R. and J.A. Rayne, "Electronic Specific Heat of Gamma Phase Copper-Aluminum Alloys," Solid State Communications 49: 1055 (1984).