Phillip Swarzentruber is a Graduate Research Assistant in the Materials Engineering Department at the University of Kentucky. Here he talks about his NSF-funded research on osmium-ruthenium thin films used in dispenser cathodes. These cathodes are part of telecommunications devices and military systems. He explains, “One device it can go into is a ‘traveling wave tube.’ The stream of electrons is used to interact with an incoming radio signal. And it interacts with that signal to amplify it, so it can be sent out further. It’s used in satellites to relay messages back to Earth.” Phillip says the most exciting aspect of his work is the chance to add to the scientific understanding of these thin film materials. 

• Dr. John Balk's research group