Institute for Functional Nanomaterials

Physicist

University of Puerto Rico, Humacao Campus

Biography

Zimbovskaya, a competitive researcher and Professor at the Department of Physics and Electronics at the University of Puerto Rico, Humacao Campus, was born in Russia. While in Russia she received both PhD in Physics and Mathematics from the Institute of Metal Physics of Russian Academy of Sciences (Yekaterinburg) in 1977 and Doctor of Science degree in Physics and Mathematics from Nizhni Novgorod State University in 1994. Her research intersts include theoretical studies of charge transport mechanisms in molecules and conducting polymers. Her current research aims at further analysis of dissipative effects in the electron transport through molecules which is not fully understood so far. The research provides and is further expected to provide suitable results for comparison with experimental data obtained for realistic organic molecules, giving a deeper insight into the charge transport processes. Another IFN related area of interst concerns the effects of Coulomb interactions of electrons involved in the transport which gives rise to Coulomb blockade, Kondo effect and related phenomena.

Zimbovskaya was twice invited to visit the Naval Research Laboratory (Washington,DC) as a Summer Faculty (May-July 2007, 2008). Currently, in collaboration with Dr. M. Pederson and the research team of experimentalists headed by Dr. B.Ratna of NRL she studies electron transport through metal-molecule-metal junctions with metal nanoclasters taking the part of leads and through molecular networks. Considered molecular networks are constructed of gold nanoparticles linked with oligophenylenevinulene molecules. It was established both experimentally and theoretically that the electrical conduction of such network is extremely sensitive to the presence of trinitrotoluene vapors. The results suggest that the above networks may be used in designing chemoselective sensors.

Besides, Zimbovskaya's research interests include magneto-transport, high-frequency phenomena and Fermi-liquid effects in conventional and low-dimensional metals. She authored a monograph "Local Geometry of Fermi Surface and High-Frequency Phenomena in Metals" (Springer-Verlag, 2001).

Teams

Cluster II: Functional Nanostructures at the Interface

Phone

787-850-0000 ext. 9015

E-mail

natalya.zimbovskaya upr edu

Education

• D.Sc. in Physics, N.I. Lobachevsky State University of Nizhni Novgorod (1994)
• Ph.D. in Physics , Insitute of Metal of Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences (1977)
• M.Sc. in Physics, Ural State University (1970)

Appointments

2004–present	Professor, University of Puerto Rico at Humacao, Humacao, Puerto Rico , United States
2003–2004	Visiting Professor, St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, MN, United States
2001–2003	Visiting Professor, City College of City University of New York, New York, NY, United States
2000–2001	Research Professor , Hunter College of City University of New York,, New York, NY, United States
1996–1999	Professor of Physics, Urals State Mining University (USMU), Yekaterinburg, Russia
1983–1996	Professor and Associate Professor of Mathematics, USMU, Yekaterinburg, Russia
1977–1983	Assistant Professor of Physics, USMU, Yekatrinburg, Russia

Publications

1. R. Allen, A. S. Blum, M. R. Pederson, B. R. Ratna, and N. A. Zimbovskaya, "Nanoparticle networks as chemoselective sensing devices", J. Chem. Phys., 130, 094702 (2009)
2. N. A. Zimbovskaya, "Electron transport through a quantum dot in the Coulomb blockade regime: Nonequilibrium Green's function based model", Phys. Rev. B, 78, 035331 (2008)
3. N. A. Zimbovskaya, "Inelastic electron transport in polymer nanofibers", J. Chem. Phys., 129, 114705 (2008)
4. M. R. Pederson and N. A. Zimbovskaya, "Negative differential resistance in molecular junctions:The effect of the electrodes electronic structure", Phys. Rev. B, 78, 153105 (2008)

Grants

1. N. A. Zimbovskaya. Theoretical studies of electronic conduction through molecular junctions: The effects of the electrodes electronic structure and dissipative effects, National Science Foundation, DMR, 3 years, September 2009, Single PI, Pending, $180,000.
2. K. Belashchenko, B. Bockelman, Z. Chen, F. Choobineh, M. Gómez, Y. Ishikawa, H. Li, J. Lu, A. R. Mayol, H. Ortiz-Zuazaga, K. Riley, W. Srisa-an, D. Swanson, E. Tsymbal, J. Velev, X. Zeng, N. A. Zimbovskaya, and S. Zuloski-Benson. Collaborative Research: Adaptive Cyberinfrastructure for Computational Nanoscience, National Science Foundation, OIA - RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROV, 3 years, August 2009, Multiple PIs, Pending, $2,627,400.
3. N. J. Pinto and N. A. Zimbovskaya. Understanding the nature of the metallic state in conducting polymers..., United States Department of Defense, DoD Infrastructure support program for HBCU/MI, 3 years, November 2006, Multiple PIs, Approved, $211,000.

Presentations

1. M. R. Pederson and N. A. Zimbovskaya (March 2009) "Negative differential resistance in molecular junctions: Effect of the electronic structure of the electrodes" in APS March Meeting, .
2. N. A. Zimbovskaya (July 2008) "Inelastic and charging energy effects on the electron transport though molecular junctions " in Invited seminar at Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University.
3. N. A. Zimbovskaya (June 2008) "Inelastic and charging energy effects on the electron transport though molecular junctions " in Invited seminar at Naval Research Laboratory, Washington DC.