Gregory MacDougall

Biography

Professor Gregory MacDougall received a bachelor's degree in mathematical physics from Simon Fraser University in 2002 and a Ph.D. in physics from McMaster University in 2008. His doctoral research focused on exploring the magnetic properties of unconventional superconductors using techniques such as \muSR, magnetometry and neutron scattering. Professor MacDougall went on to work in the Quantum Condensed Matter Division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory. There he used primarily neutron scattering facilities at the Spallation Neutron Source and the High-Flux Isotope Reactor to explore material properties of frustrated antiferromagnets, high-temperature superconductors and thin-film multiferroics. Throughout his research career, Professor MacDougall has maintained a healthy interest in the growth of large single crystals of novel compounds.

Research Interests

• spin-orbital and spin-lattice coupling
• orbital order
• magnetic frustration
• superconductivity
• magnetic fluctuations
• emergent magnetism

Research Statement

Professor MacDougall's research involves the exploration of emergent magnetic properties of novel materials using probes such as neutron scattering and muon spin rotation (muSR). His work at UIUC additionally includes the synthesis of novel compounds and the growth of large single crystals.

Problems of current interest include orbital order, the effects of magnetic frustration, the interplay between magnetism and superconductivity in correlated materials, and the coupling between spin, charge and lattice degrees-of-freedom in condensed matter systems.

Projects in this group are varied, but will likely include aspects of materials development, crystal growth and characterization, and the execution of neutron scattering or muSR experiments at national laboratories.

Honors

• Dean's Award for Excellence in Research (2017)
• Center for Advanced Study Fellow (2017-2018)
• National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER award (09/01/2015)
• Gordon Battelle Award for Scientific Discovery (01/31/2011)

Semesters Ranked Excellent Teacher by Students

Selected Articles in Journals

• D. Reig-i-Plessis, T.A. Johnson, K. Lu, Q. Chen, J.P.C. Ruff, M.H. Upton, T.J. Williams, S. Calder, H.D. Zhou, J.P. Clancy, A.A. Aczel, and G.J. MacDougall, “Structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of nearly-ideal Jeff = 1/2 iridium halides,” Physical Review Materials 4, 124407 (2020).
• Kannan Lu, Deepak Sapkota, Lisa DeBeer-Schmitt, Yan Wu, Huibo Cao, Norman Mannella, David Mandrus, Adam A. Aczel, and Gregory J. MacDougall, “Canted antiferromagnetic order in the monoaxial chiral magnets V1/3TaS2 and V1/3NbS2,” Physical Review Materials 4, 054416 (2020).
• D. Reig-i-Plessis, A. Cote, S. van Geldern, R. D. Mayrhofer, A. A. Aczel, and G. J. MacDougall, “Neutron scattering measurement of crystalline-electric fields in magnesium rare-earth selenide spinels,” Physical Review Materials 3, 114408 (2019).
• D. Reig-i-Plessis, S. V. Geldern, A. A. Aczel, D. Kochkov, B. K. Clark and G. J. MacDougall, “Deviation from the dipole-ice model in the new spinel spin-ice candidate, MgEr2Se4,” Physical Review B 99, 134438 (2019).
• A. V. Zakrzewski, S. Gangopadhyay, G. J. MacDougall, A. A. Aczel, S. Calder, and T. J. Williams, "Evolution of magnetic and orbital properties in the magnetically diluted A-site spinel Cu{1-x}ZnxRh2O4", Phys. Rev. B 97, 214411 (2018)
• A. Thaler, E. Northen, A.A. Aczel and G. J. MacDougall, "A Mechanical Rotator for Neutron Scattering Measurements", Reviews of Scientific Instruments 87, 125109 (2016).
• G. J. MacDougall, A. A. Aczel, Yixi Su, W. Schweika, A. Schneidewind, A. D. Christianson, J. L. Zarestky, H. D. Zhou, D. Mandrus, and S. E. Nagler, "Revisiting the ground state of CoAl2O4: comparison to the conventional antiferromagnet MnAl2O4," Physical Review B 94, 184422 (2016)- .Editor's Suggestion
• D. Reig-i-Plessis, D. Casavant, V. O. Garlea, A. A. Aczel, M. Feygenson, J. Neuefeind, H. D. Zhou, S. E. Nagler and G. J. MacDougall, "Structural transition and orbital glass physics in near itinerant CoV2O4", Physical Review B 93, 014427(2016).
• G. J. MacDougall, I. Brodsky, A. A. Aczel, V. O. Garlea, G. E. Granroth, A. D. Christianson, T. Hong, H. D. Zhou, S. E. Nagler, Magnons and a two-component spin gap in FeV2O4, Physical Review B 89, 224404(2014)
• A. A. Aczel, G. E. Granroth, G. J. MacDougall, W. J. L. Buyers, D. L. Abernathy, G. D. Samolyuk, G. M. Stocks, S. E. Nagler, Quantum oscillations of nitrogen atoms in uranium nitride, Nature Communications 3, 1124(2012)
• G. J. MacDougall, V. O. Garlea, A. A. Aczel, H. D. Zhou, S. E. Nagler, Magnetic order and ice rules in the multiferroic spinel FeV₂O₄, Physical Review B 86, 060414(R) (2012)
• G. J. MacDougall, H.M. Christen, W. Siemons, M.D. Biegalski, J.L. Zarestky, S. Liang, E. Dagatto J and S.E. Nagler, Antiferromagnetic transitions in tetragonal-like BiFeO₃ Physical Review B 85, 100406(R) (2012)
• G. J. MacDougall, D. Gout, J.L. Zarestky, G. Ehlers, A. Podlesnyak, M.A. McGuire, D. Mandrus and S.E. Nagler, Kinetically Inhibited Order in a Diamond-Lattice Antiferromagnet, Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, USA 108, 15693-15698 (2011)
• M. D. Lumsden, A. D. Christianson, E. A. Goremychkin, S. E. Nagler, H. A. Mook, M. B. Stone, D. L. Abernathy, T. Guidi, G. J. MacDougall, C. de la Cruz, A. S. Sefat, M. A. McGuire, B. C. Sales and D. Mandrus, Evolution of spin excitations into the superconducting state in FeTe_1-xSe_x, Nature Physics 6, 182 (2010)
• G.J. MacDougall, A.T. Savici, A.A. Aczel, R.J. Birgeneau, T. Ito, H. Kim, S.-J. Kim, J. A. Rodriguez, P.L. Russo, Y.J. Uemura, S. Wakimoto, C.R. Wiebe, and G.M. Luke, Muon Spin Rotation Measurements of Heterogeneous Field Response in Overdoped La_2-xSr_xCuO₄,Physical Review B 81, 014508 (2010)
• A.D. Christianson, M.D. Lumsden , S.E. Nagler, G.J. MacDougall, M.A. McGuire, A.S. Sefat, R. Jin, B.C. Sales and D. Mandrus, Static and Dynamic Magnetism in Underdoped Superconductor BaFe_1.92Co_0.08As₂, Physical Review Letters 103, 087002 (2009)
• M.D. Lumsden, A.D. Christianson, D. Parshall, M.B. Stone, S.E. Nagler, G.J. MacDougall, H.A. Mook, K. Lokshin, T. Egami, D.L. Abernathy, E.A. Goremychkin, R. Osborn, M.A. McGuire, A.S. Sefat, R. Jin, B.C. Sales and D. Mandrus, Two-dimensional resonant magnetic excitation in BaFe_1.84Co_0.16As₂, Physical Review Letters 102, 107005 (2009)
• J.P. Carlo, Y.J. Uemura, T. Goko, G.J. MacDougall, J.A. Rodriguez, W. Yu, G. M. Luke, Pengcheng Dai, N. Shannon, S. Miyasaka, S. Suzuki, S. Tajima, G.F. Chen, W.Z. Hu, J.L. Luo, and N.L. Wang, Static Magnetic Order and Superfluid Density of RFeAs(O,F) (R=La,Nd,Ce) and LaFePO Studied by Muon Spin Relaxation: Unusual Similarities with the Behavior of Cuprate Superconductors,Physical Review Letters 102, 087001 (2009)
• G.J. MacDougall, G.M. Luke, Y.J. Uemura, J. Rodriguez, A.A. Aczel, J.P. Carlo, P.L. Russo, T. Ito and S. Wakimoto, Absence of Broken Time-Reversal Symmetry in the Pseudogap State of the High Temperature La_2-xSr_xCuO₄ Superconductor from Muon-Spin-Relaxation Measurements, Physical Review Letters 101, 017001 (2008)
• C.R. Wiebe, J.A. Janik, G.J. MacDougall, G.M. Luke, J.D. Garrett, H.D. Zhou, Y.-J. Lo, L. Balicas, Y. Qui, J.R.D. Copley, Z. Yamani, and W.J.L. Buyers, Gapped Itinerant Excitations Account for Missing Entropy in the Hidden Order State of URu₂Si₂, Nature Physics 3, 96-99 (2007)
• Y.J Uemura, T. Goko, I.M. Gat-Malureanu, J.P. Carlo, P.L. Russo, A.T. Savici, A.A. Aczel, G.J. MacDougall, J. Rodriguez, G.M. Luke, S.R. Dunsiger, A. McCollam, J. Arai, Ch. Pfleiderer, P. Boni, K. Yoshimura, E. Baggio-Saitovich, M.B. Fontes, J. Larrea, Y.V. Sushko and J. Sereni,Phase Separation and Supression of Critical Dynamics at Quantum Transitions of Itinerant Magnets: MnSi and (Sr_1-xCa_x)RuO₃, Nature Physics 3, 29-35 (2007)
• A. T. Savici, A. Fukaya, I.-M. Gat-Malureanu, T. Ito, P. L. Russo, Y. J. Uemura, C. R. Wiebe, P. P. Kyriakou, G. J. MacDougall, M. T. Rovers, G. M. Luke, K. M. Kojima, R. Kadono, and K. Yamada, Muon Spin Relaxation Studies of Field-Induced Effects in High-T_c Superconductors, Physical Review Letters 95, 157001 (2005)