Lab Notes

Matt Heizler and Julia Ricci adjust the position of a new tungsten filament for one of the mass spectrometers in the New Mexico Geochronology Laboratory.

At the forefront of cutting-edge research at New Mexico Tech, we have been utilizing Raman spectroscopy to unravel the mysteries locked within minerals. By harnessing the power of visible and ultraviolet lasers, we can unlock a plethora of information. So, you may be asking, what is Raman spectroscopy? In simple terms, it's a technique that uses laser light to interact with the atomic vibrations of a material, producing a unique "fingerprint" of its molecular composition. By analyzing the scattered light, we are able to identify and characterize minerals such as apatite, fluorite, and calcite.

Dr. Alex Gysi has been attracting PhD students and post-doctoral fellows to NMT in order to form an Ore Deposits and Critical Minerals Research Group. The group will utilize the newly established Ore Deposits & Critical Minerals Research Laboratory at the New Mexico Bureau of Geology & Mineral Resources to conduct research in experimental and computational hydrothermal geochemisty. Several more positions are yet to be filled.

Much of this research is focused on critical minerals, which are essential to our modern economy.