{"id":1682,"date":"2024-11-25T10:39:59","date_gmt":"2024-11-25T15:39:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tickle.utk.edu\/mse\/?p=1682"},"modified":"2024-11-25T15:56:11","modified_gmt":"2024-11-25T20:56:11","slug":"lalk-works-to-understand-compositionally-complex-garnets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tickle.utk.edu\/mse\/lalk-works-to-understand-compositionally-complex-garnets\/","title":{"rendered":"Lalk Works to Understand Compositionally Complex Garnets"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Rebecca Lalk learned that earning her PhD in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering would give her a chance to conduct research at the University of Tennessee\u2019s Scintillation Materials Research Center<\/a> (SMRC), she knew UT was the clear choice.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am fascinated by the physics of light production,\u201d said Lalk, who now works in Associate Professor Mariya Zhuravleva<\/a>\u2019s lab. \u201cResearching scintillators not only aligns with my interest in optical materials but provides an exciting way to connect that scientific curiosity with practical, real-world applications.\u201d<\/p>\n

Three years into her PhD, Lalk has focused her research on rare earth aluminum garnet scintillators, which possess a unique combination of stability, efficiency, and versatility that makes them highly desirable in fields like medical imaging, nuclear security, and environmental monitoring.<\/p>\n

\"Rebecca<\/p>\n

Engineering Better Scintillators<\/h2>\n

Lalk is working to identify more efficient, stable, and durable scintillators that other researchers can scale up for use in real-world applications.<\/p>\n

Aluminum garnet-based scintillators have an inherently robust crystal structure, which gives them long productive lifetimes and resistance to numerous environmental stressors. Lalk\u2019s crystals also include small amounts of cerium, which produces a very bright light and has fast decay time.<\/p>\n

Lately, Lalk has been investigating compositionally complex garnets, scintillators in which the garnet lattice contains an assortment of rare earth cations instead of just one. This type of compositional engineering could impact the interaction between charge carriers and electronic defect states, which can slow down a scintillator\u2019s visible signals or reduce its light output.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnderstanding the location and distribution of electronic defect states, as well as how concentrations of different cations in the lattice affect energy transfer processes, lets us evaluate the extent to which changes in composition impact scintillation performance,\u201d Lalk explained.<\/p>\n

Lalk is passionate about her scintillator research and can see herself pursuing it further at a national laboratory after earning her PhD. She\u2019s also open to exploring opportunities in nonproliferation policy.<\/p>\n

\u201cUltimately, I hope to contribute to the development of technologies and strategies that enhance radiation protection and support efforts in national security and nonproliferation,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Balancing Lab and Life<\/h2>\n

Just as her scintillators include a balanced mix of cations, Lalk is sure to balance her work in the laboratory with self-care activities. She paints, plays multiple musical instruments, hikes, and recently started running on Knoxville\u2019s many trails.<\/p>\n

\u201cHiking and trail running are great ways for me to stay physically active while disconnecting from the demands of research,\u201d she said, \u201cand all my hobbies provide me valuable time to recharge and think creatively.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lalk also devotes much of her time to helping other engineers in the UT community. She mentors undergraduate engineering students through UT\u2019s Society of Women Engineers<\/a> (SWE), serves on the SMRC safety committee, and earned a 2024 Graduate Student Senate Award for Excellence in Service for her activities as the treasurer of the Materials Research Society at UT\u2014an organization of which she is now president.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile these activities aren\u2019t directly related to my research, they contribute to my wellbeing,\u201d said Lalk. \u201cThey are important for helping me clear my mind and gain fresh perspectives. They help me stay engaged, motivated, and balanced, allowing me to be my best self both in and out of the lab.\u201d<\/p>\n

Contact<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Izzie Gall (865-974-7203,\u00a0egall4@utk.edu<\/a>)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

PhD student Rebecca Lalk\u2019s passions include hiking, painting, mentoring other engineers, and improving cerium-doped rare earth aluminum garnet scintillators.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":1684,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,4,12],"tags":[20,495,350,363],"class_list":["post-1682","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-research","category-students","tag-mariya-zhuravleva","tag-rebecca-lalk","tag-scintillators","tag-smrc"],"yoast_head":"\nLalk Works to Understand Compositionally Complex Garnets - Materials Science and Engineering<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"PhD student Rebecca Lalk\u2019s passions include hiking, painting, mentoring, and improving cerium-doped rare earth aluminum garnet scintillators.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/tickle.utk.edu\/mse\/lalk-works-to-understand-compositionally-complex-garnets\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Lalk Works to Understand Compositionally Complex Garnets - 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