Rachael Farber

Rachael Farber

Postdoctoral Fellow

University of Chicago

Rachael G. Farber received her B.S. in Chemistry from Case Western Reserve University in 2013 and Ph.D. in Chemistry from Loyola University Chicago under the guidance of Dr. Dan Killelea in 2018. At Loyola, she utilized ultra-high vacuum (UHV) surface science techniques to investigate the fundamental properties of catalytically relevant metal surfaces. With a focus on the relationship between surface structure and chemical activity, Rachael investigated water structure formation on highly stepped platinum (Pt) surfaces, oxide formation on rhodium (Rh) and silver (Ag) surfaces, and the influence of dissolved oxygen species on the surface structure and chemical activity of Rh and Ag surfaces. She has received several awards for her doctoral research including the AVS Nellie Yeoh Whetten Award (2017), the AVS Morton M. Traum Surface Science Student Award (2017), Loyola’s Dumbach Award for Excellence in Chemistry (2018), and the Iota Sigma Pi Anna Louise Hoffman Award for Outstanding Achievement in Graduate Research (2018). Rachael is currently a Kadanoff-Rice Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Chicago under the supervision of Dr. Steven Sibener. Her ongoing research is focused on applying UHV surface science techniques to analyze material growth mechanisms and surface properties of next generation superconducting radio frequency (SRF) materials for use in accelerator technologies.

Interests

  • Surface science
  • Ultra-high vacuum science and technology
  • Fundamental heterogeneous catalysis
  • Fundamental materials growth and characterization

Education

  • PhD in Physical Chemistry, 2018

    Loyola University Chicago

  • BS in Chemistry, 2013

    Case Western Reverse University

Publications

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Persistence of the Nb(100) Surface Oxide Reconstruction at Elevated Temperatures

Helium atom scattering and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) are used to characterize the (3 × 1)-O reconstruction of the Nb(100) …
A. A. McMillan, J. D. Graham, S. A. Willson, R. G. Farber, C. J. Thompson, S. J. Sibener
PDF

Suppression of Nano-Hydride Growth on Nb(100) due to Nitrogen Doping

Niobium superconducting radio frequency (SRF) cavities enable the operation of modern superconducting accelerator facilities. These …
R. D. Veit*, R. G. Farber*, N. S. Sitaraman, T. A. Arias, S. J. Sibener
PDF

Temperature Dependence of CO Oxidation on Rh(111) by Adsorbed Oxygen

Carbon monoxide oxidation over oxidized Rh surfaces is known to be sensitive to both the oxygen species present as well as the surface …
M. E. Turano, R.G. Farber, G. Hildebrandt, D. R. Killelea
PDF

Characterization of Oxygenaceous Species Formed by Exposure of Ag(111) to Atomic Oxygen

The uptake and chemical speciation of oxygen in and on Ag(111) surface is described. An Ag(111) surface was exposed to gas-phase oxygen …
M. E. Turano, R.G. Farber, E. C. N. Oskorep, R. A. Rosenberg, D. R. Killelea
PDF

Ab Initial Calculations on Impurity Doped Niobium and Niobium Surfaces

We develop and apply new tools to understand Nb surface chemistry and fundamental electronic processes using theoretical ab initio …
N. S. Sitaraman, T. A. Arias, M. U. Liepe, J. T. Maniscalco, R. D. Veit, R. G. Farber, S. J. Sibener
PDF
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Conference Presentations

Invited Oral Presentations

  1. AVS 67th International Symposium and Exhibition, Charlotte, NC, 2021 “Towards a Mechanistic Understanding of Next-Generation Particle Accelerator Materials Growth: Nb Hydride Growth and Suppression and Nb3Sn Formation on (3×1)-O Nb(100)”
  2. Virtual MN-AVS Annual Fall Symposium, 2021, “Leadership, Development, and Career Opportunities for AVS Student and Early Career Professional Members”
  3. Loyola University Chicago, Department Seminar (Virtual), Chicago, IL 2020 “Understanding the Surface Chemistry of Next-Generation Particle Accelerator Materials: Oxidized Nb(100) as a Model System”
  4. Gordon Research Conference, Dynamics at Surfaces, Newport, RI, 2019 “STM Studies of the Growth and Suppression Mechanisms of Niobium Hydrides for Next Generation Superconducting RF Accelerators and Light Sources”
  5. Center for Bright Beams Annual Meeting, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 2019 “STM Studies of the Growth and Suppression Mechanisms of Niobium Hydrides for Next Generation Superconducting RF Accelerators and Light Sources”
  6. JFI Postdoctoral Seminar, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 2019 “Atomic-Scale Growth Mechanism of Niobium Hydrides on Hydrogen Infused Nb(100)”
  7. Iota Sigma Pi – Aurum Iota Initiation, DePaul University, Chicago, IL 2019 “Understanding Surface Mediated Chemistry at the Atomic Scale: From Heterogeneous Catalysis to Particle Accelerator Technology”
  8. Loyola University Chicago, Department Seminar, Chicago, IL 2017 “Structural and Chemical Consequences of High Oxygen Coverages on Rh(111)
  9. Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Catalysis and Surface Chemistry, The Netherlands 2017 “High Oxygen Coverages on Ag(111) and Rh(111): Surface Structures and Reactivity”

Oral Presentations

  1. International Workshop on Nb3Sn SRF ’20, Virtual Workshop, 2020 “Elucidating Nb3Sn Growth Mechanisms: Fundamental Studies of the Surface Dynamics of Sn Adsorption, Lateral Diffusion, and Incorporation on (3×1)-O Nb(100)”
  2. AVS 66th International Symposium and Exhibition, Columbus, OH, 2019 “Atomic-Scale Growth Mechanisms of Niobium Hydrides on Hydrogen Infused Nb(100)”
  3. 2019 AVS Prairie Chapter Symposium, Urbana-Champaign, IL, 2019 “Nano-Scale Characterization of the Growth and Suppression Behavior of Niobium Hydrides for Next Generation Superconducting RF Accelerators and Light Sources”
  4. Catalysis Club of Chicago 2018 Spring Symposium, Naperville, IL, 2018 “Structural and Chemical Consequences of High Oxygen Coverages on Rh(111)”
  5. AVS 64th International Symposium and Exhibition, Tampa, FL, 2017 “Structural Consequences of High Oxygen Coverages on Rh(111)”
  6. 2017 AVS Prairie Chapter Symposium, Milwaukee, WI, 2017 “Structural Consequences of High Oxygen Coverages on Rh(111)”
  7. AVS 63rd International Symposium and Exhibition, Nashville, TN, 2016 “Step-Type Selective Oxidation on Pt Surfaces”
  8. AVS 62nd International Symposium and Exhibition, San Jose, CA, 2015 “Submonolayer Water Adsorption on Stepped and Planar Pt Surfaces”
  9. American Chemical Society Regional Conference. Grand Rapids, MI, 2015 “Atomic Oxygen on Ag(111) and Rh(111)”

Poster Presentations

  1. 2021 International Conference on RF Superconductivity,Virtual Meeting, 2021 “Visualization of Sn Adsorption Behavior and Thermally Driven Diffusion Pathways on (3×1)-O Nb(100)”
  2. Gordon Research Seminar, Dynamics at Surfaces, Newport, RI, 2019 “STM Studies of the Growth and Suppression Mechanisms of Niobium Hydrides for Next Generation Superconducting RF Accelerators and Light Sources”
  3. AVS 65th International Symposium and Exhibition, Long Beach, CA, 2018; “Oxidation of Nb(100) and Kinetics of Surface to Bulk Transport and Extension to Nb3Sn”
  4. 2018 AVS Prairie Chapter Symposium, Chicago, IL, 2018 “Oxygen Dissolution on Nb(100) and In Situ Nb3Sn Growth Mechanisms”
  5. AVS 64th International Symposium and Exhibition, Tampa, FL, 2017 “Structural Consequences of High Oxygen Coverages on Rh(111)”
  6. 2017 AVS Prairie Chapter Symposium, Milwaukee, WI, 2017 “Structural Consequences of High Oxygen Coverages on Rh(111)”
  7. Gordon Research Conference, Dynamics at Surfaces, Newport, RI, 2017 “Structural and Chemical Consequences of High Oxygen Coverages on Rh(111)”
  8. Gordon Research Conference and Seminar, Chemical Reactions at Surfaces, Lucca, Italy, 2017 “Structural Consequences of Increased Oxygen Incorporation in Rh Surfaces”
  9. 2016 AVS Prairie Chapter Symposium, Chicago, IL, 2016 “Step-Type Selective Oxidation on Pt Surfaces”
  10. 2015 AVS Prairie Chapter Symposium, Notre Dame, IN, 2015 “Water Structures Formed on Pt(111) and Pt(553) Surfaces”
  11. Gordon Research Conference and Seminar, Dynamics at Surfaces, Newport, RI, 2015 “Water Structures Formed on Pt(111) and Pt(553) Surfaces”
  12. 2014 AVS Prairie Chapter Symposium, Chicago, IL, 2014 “Water Structures on Pt(111)”
  13. 74th Physical Electronics Conference, La Crosse, WI, 2014 “Water Structures on Pt(111)”

Honors and Awards

The Dumbach Award for Excellence in Chemistry

Loyola University Chicago Aug 2018

Anna Louise Hoffman Award for Outstanding Achievement in Graduate Research

Iota Sigma Pi Apr 2018

Nellie Yeoh Whetten Award

AVS 64th International Symposium and Exhibition Nov 2017

Morton M. Traum Surface Science Student Award

AVS 64th International Symposium and Exhibition Nov 2017

Best Graduate Student Poster, Third place

AVS Prairie Chapter Symposium Sep 2015