Texas Tech University

Charles Myles, Ph.D

Professor
Department of Physics and Astronomy

Email: Charley.Myles@ttu.edu

Phone: (806) 834-4563

Office: 18 Science Building

Ph.D. Physics, Washington University, St. Louis (1973)

M.S. Physics, Washington University, St. Louis (1971)

B.S. Physics, University of Missouri at Rolla (1969)

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Research Interests

My research interests are in theoretical and computational materials (condensed matter) physics, with emphasis on understanding the microscopic physics of semiconductor materials. Current problems of interest are divided into two categories. 1) The use of ab-initio and semi-empirical methods to study the structural, electronic, vibrational, and thermodynamic properties of solids which show promise as thermoelectric materials. Two types of materials of interest in this regard are the semiconductor clathrates and the skudderudites. 2) The use of high field transport and Monte Carlo simulation techniques to study the high electric field behavior of gallium arsenide and related materials, with applications to understanding the behavior of photoconductive semiconductor switches.

Selected Publications

  • K. Kambour, H.P. Hjalmarson, F.J. Zutavern, A. Mar, C.W. Myles, and R.P. Joshi, “Simulation of Lock-on Current Filaments in Photoconductive Semiconductor Switches,” Proc. 15th International IEEE Pulsed Power Conference, 814 (2005).
  • K. Biswas and C.W. Myles, “Electronic Structure of the Na16Rb8Si136 and K16Rb8Si136 Clathrates,” Phys. Rev.B 74, 115113 (2006).
  • K. Biswas and C.W. Myles, “Density-functional Investigation of Na16A8Ge136 (A = Rb, Cs) Clathrates Using the Generalized-Gradient Approximation,” Journ. of Phys. C: Condensed Matter, accepted, September, 2007.
  • C.W. Myles, K. Biswas, and E. Nenghabi, “Rattling ‘Guest' Impurities in Si and Ge Clathrate Semiconductors,” in press, Proc. 24th International Conference on Defects in Semiconductors, Physica B: Condensed Matter, 396, (2007).