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Steven D. Jacobsen

Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences

Ph.D. in Geophysics, University of Colorado; M.S. in Geology, University of Colorado; B.A. in Geology, University of Colorado

Research Interests

Professor Steven D. Jacobsen applies mineral physics to problems in high-pressure physics and chemistry, geophysics, geochemistry, and materials science. Using gem diamonds as transparent superhard anvils, pressures in excess of 100 GPa are generated in his Northwestern laboratory. High-pressure science is an important area of applied materials and energy research because elements and compounds adopt novel structures and properties at extreme conditions. Professor Jacobsen employs ultrasonic methods, IR and Raman spectroscopy, X-ray and neutron diffraction, and synchrotron radiation techniques at the Advanced Photon Source to probe the structure and physical properties of Earth and applied materials. His recent research has included study of electronic spin transitions of iron at high pressures, IR-reflectivity of solid and liquid methane with application to hydrocarbon lakes on Titan, elastic properties of superhard CVD-diamond, and water incorporation into high-pressure silicates of the Earth’s deep mantle, which may have played a critical role in the evolution of our habitable planet.

Selected Publications

Amsler, M., V.I. Hegde, S.D. Jacobsen, and C. Wolverton (2018) Exploring the high-pressure materials genome. Physical Review X 8, 041021.

Faber, K.T. et al. (2017) The role of ceramic and glass science research in meeting societal challenges: Report from an NSF-sponsored workshop. Journal of the American Ceramic Society, 1-27, doi: 10.1111/jace.14881.

Klein, R.A., J.P.S. Walsh, S.M. Clarke, Y. Guo, W. Bi, G. Fabbris, Y. Meng, D. Haskel, E.E. Alp, R.P. Van Duyne, S.D. Jacobsen, and D.E. Freedman (2018) Impact of pressure on magnetic order in jarosite. Journal of the American Chemical Society 140, 12001-12009.

Lazarz, J.D., P. Dera, Y. Hu, Y. Meng, C.R. Bina, and S.D. Jacobsen (2019) High-pressure phase transitions of clinoenstatite. American Mineralogist 104, 897-904.

Liu, X., X. Chen, X. Jia, H.A. Ma, D.J. Singh, R. Stern, J. Wu, S. Petitgirard, C.R. Bina, and S.D. Jacobsen (2019) Boron-oxygen complex yields n-type surface layer in semiconducting diamond. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 116, 7703-7711.

Liu, X., Y.Y. Chang, S.N. Tkachev, C.R. Bina, and S.D. Jacobsen (2017) Elastic and mechanical softening in boron-doped diamond. Scientific Reports 7, 42921.

Walsh, J.P.S., S.M. Clarke, D. Puggioni, A.D. Tamerius, Y. Meng, J.M. Rondinelli, S.D. Jacobsen, and D.E. Freedman (2019) MnBi2: A metastable high-pressure phase in the Mn-Bi system. Chemistry of Materials 31, 3083-3088.

Wang, F., M. Barklage, X. Lou, S. van der Lee, C.R. Bina, and S.D. Jacobsen (2018) HyMaTZ: a Python program for modelling seismic velocities in hydrous regions of the mantle transition zone. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems 19, 2308-2324.