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 David E. Venus

David E. Venus 

Professor & Chair

Department of Physics and Astronomy 
McMaster University 
Hamilton, ON 
L8S 4M1 

Office:  ABB-238 
Lab: ABB-B146 

Phone:  (905) 525-9140 x23644 (office)  x21233 (lab) 
FAX:    (905) 546-1252 
E-mail:  
Research Area: Condensed Matter Experiment

Research Interests

David Venus obtained his undergraduate degree from Queen's University, and did his graduate work in physics at the University of Toronto. He received is Ph.D. in 1985. He applied a wide variety of electron spectroscopies to the study of surfaces during his doctoral and postdoctoral work at FA Jülich (Germany), Indiana University and Université Laval. He joined the McMaster faculty in 1988.

Dr. Venus' research interests are surfaces, films of a few atomic layers in thickness, and the artificially structured materials that can be made by combinations of these. In all these systems, atoms at surfaces comprise a large fraction of the total number of atoms present, and can dramatically alter the electronic, mechanical and magnetic properties compared to bulk samples. Variations in the film fabrication and processing allow a degree of control of these properties. Research is currently focussed on novel magnetic properties which arise in layered magnetic structures. These studies address questions of basic magnetism which are relevant to applications in the magnetic recording/computer disk industry.

The experiments use specialized magnetic probes, such as the magneto-optic Kerr effect. Students also gain experience in ultrahigh vacuum technology, film deposition, and a variety of surface science techniques for determination of structure. Students are currently investigating magnetic phase transitions in thin films, magnetic domain wall formation and motion, and antiferromagnetic films and interfaces.

Selected Publications

  1. "Observation of the cross-over from pure 2D Ising to defect-modified critical behavior in an ultrathin magnetic film", K. Fritsch, R. D'Ortenzio and D. Venus, condensed matter arXiv: 1010.0657 (2010).
  2. "Dynamics of domain growth driven by dipolar interactions in a perpendiculary-magnetized ultrathin film", N. Abu-Libdeh and D. Venus, Phys. Rev. B 81, (2010), 195416.
  3. "Dynamical signature of a domain phase transition in a perpendiculary magnetized ultrathin film", N. Abu-Libdeh and D. Venus, Phys. Rev. B 80 (2009) 184412.
  4. "Structural and magnetic properties of a chemically ordered fcc (111) Mn alloy film", Z. Zhou, Q. Li and D. Venus, J. Appl. Phys. 99 (2006) 08N504.
  5. "Competition between magnetic relaxation mechanisms in exchange coupled CoO/Co bilayers", D. Venus and F. Hunte, Phys. Rev. B 72, (2005), 024404.
  6. "Measurements of critical slowing down in the 2D Ising model using ferromagnetic ultrathin films", M.J. Dunlavy and D, Venus, Phys. Rev. B 71, (2005), 144406.
  7. "Physics and Chemistry involving spins at interfaces: Research in new magnetic materials", D. Venus, Physics in Canada, 55, 267 (1999).
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