Norman O Birge
Professor, Department of Physics & Astronomy
Location: 4224 Biomed Phys Sci
Phone: 517-884-5653
Email: birge@msu.edu
Bio
Our research focuses on "mesoscopic physics", the study of materials on small (submicron) length scales. This size regime lies between the macroscopic world of things we can see and touch, and the microscopic world of single atoms or molecules. Mesoscopic samples often exhibit novel phenomena not observed in larger samples. We study electrical transport in mesoscopic samples consisting of normal, superconducting, and ferromagnetic metals, and their combinations. Our recent work covers several different topics: 1. spin-triplet electron pair correlations in superconducting/ferromagnetic hybrid systems; 2. how to measure high-order noise correlations using a Josephson junction as a current threshold detector; 3. the use of tunneling spectroscopy to probe electron-electron interactions in carbon nanotubes; 4. nonequilibrium phenomena in superconductor/normal metal hybrid systems. Our work in the first area listed above was discussed in a recent Physics Today article written by Matthias Eschrig, which can be accessed at this link. My research group's [web pages are here](https://pa.msu.edu/cmp-research-birge/index.aspx). # Education: * 1986: Ph.D., University of Chicago * 1979: A.B., Harvard University
Courses
- PHY 410: Thermal & Statistical Physics
Selected Publications
- "Magnetization-Dependent Tc Shift in Ferromagnet / Superconductor / Ferromagnet Trilayers with a Strong Ferromagnet", I.C. Moraru, W.P. Pratt, Jr., and N.O. Birge, Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 037004 (2006). View Publication
- “Controllable 0 - pi Josephson Junctions Containing a Ferromagnetic Spin Valve,” E.C. Gingrich, B.M. Niedzielski, J.A. Glick, Y. Wang, D.L. Miller, R. Loloee, W.P. Pratt, Jr., and N.O. Birge, Nature Physics 12, 564 (2016). View Publication
- “Dephasing of electrons in mesoscopic metal wires”, F. Pierre, A.B. Gougam, A. Anthore, H. Pothier, D. Esteve, and N.O. Birge, Phys. Rev. B. 68, 085413 (2003). View Publication
- “Observation of spin-triplet superconductivity in Co-based Josephson junctions”, T.S. Khaire, M.A. Khasawneh, W.P. Pratt, Jr., and N.O. Birge, Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 137002 (2010). View Publication
- “Phase control in a spin-triplet SQUID,” J.A. Glick, V. Aguilar, A. Gougam, B.M. Niedzielski, E.C. Gingrich, R. Loloee, W.P. Pratt, Jr. and N.O. Birge, Science Advances 4, eaat9457 (2018). View Publication