Sarah A. Burke
Associate Professor
Department of Physics & Astronomy
Department of Chemistry
University of British Columbia
Associate Professor
Department of Physics & Astronomy
Department of Chemistry
University of British Columbia
Personal Research InterestsMy research career has centred around the use of Scanning Probe Microscopy techniques to learn about materials from a nanoscale view. My early research opportunities as an undergraduate at Dalhousie University exposed me to UHV STM manipulation of molecules on surfaces, and liquid AFM for probing biological samples. Having hands and eyes in the nanoworld facinated me then, and still does today. My MSc and PhD work in Peter Grutter's group at McGill University focussed on studying growth of organic semiconductors on insulating substrates by UHV nc-AFM to provide a foundation for molecular electronics studies. In my postdoctoral work at UC Berkeley with Mike Crommie, I used low-temperature UHV STM and STS to look at graphene nanostructures, and we found giant pseduomagnetic fields in strained grpahene nanobubbles. Now in my own group at UBC we apply these tools to understand how structure and electronic states relate by taking spectroscopic measurements on the nanoscale. We apply these methods to molecular systems, graphene, superconductors, and other materials while working to extend the SPM toolbox. I enjoy collaborative work, and am always interested in new materials. |  |
Employment
| 2017- | Associate Professor, University of British Columbia, Departments of Physics & Astronomy, and Chemistry |
| 2010-2017 | Assistant Professor, University of British Columbia, Departments of Physics & Astronomy, and Chemistry |
| 2009-2010 | NSERC Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California Berkeley, Department of Physics, Supervisor: Mike Crommie |
| 2004-2004 | Research Technician, University of Victoria, Department of Physics, Supervisor: Geoff Steeves |
| 2005-2009 | PhD Physics, McGill University,
Montreal, QC, Supervisor: Peter Grutter Thesis title: Building foundations for molecular electronics: growth of organic molecules on alkali halides as proto- typical insulating substrates |
| 2002-2005 | MSc Physics, McGill University,
Montreal, QC, Superisor: Peter Grutter Thesis title: Buckminsterfullerene on KBr studied by High Resolution NC-AFM: Molecular nucleation and growth on an insulator |
| 1998-2002 | BSc(Hons) Physics (minor Chemistry), Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Honours thesis with Manfred Jericho |
| 2010- | Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Nanoscience, renewed 2015 |
| 2011 | Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies Early Career Scholar Award for Interdisciplinary Study |
| 2010-2012 | Associate Member of the CIfAR Nanoelectronics Program |
| 2009-2010 | NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship |