Alexander Weiss

Professor Weiss is currently a Distinguished Professor of Physics and the Chair of the Physics Department at the University of Texas at Arlington. Professor Weiss received his BS from the City College of New York in 1976. Weiss was a Math major at City when he was recruited, as a junior, to work the Ultra-fast Laser Lab of Prof. Robert Alfano. Upon graduation from City, Weiss went on to pursue a Ph.D. in physics from Brandeis University in 1983. His Ph.D. research resulted in the first measurement of Low Energy Positron Diffraction (the first ever measurement of diffraction of anti-matter from matter) and first measurements of the energy and angular distributions of low energy electrons from surfaces emitted as a result of positron bombardment. After receiving his Ph.D., Dr. Weiss was a post-doctoral researcher at Harvard University where he performed the first x-ray scattering measurements from liquid-gas Interfaces.

Since joining the University of Texas at Arlington in 1984 his research has been focused on the development of advanced methods for the characterization of surfaces and thin films and the application of these methods in the study of the growth and stability of thin films and nano-structures.

Weiss is the inventor of Positron annihilation induced Auger Electron Spectroscopy (PAES) and co-inventor of Auger-Auger coincidence spectroscopy. Research in the Weiss lab provided the first demonstration that PAES selectively probes the elemental content of the top-layer. He has applied positron beams in fundamental studies of the positron surface state, positron-core electron annihilation cross sections and positron induced secondary electron emission. His measurements of electron emission resulting from very low energy positron bombardment provided the first demonstration of a new mechanism for positron trapping at surfaces: Auger mediated quantum sticking. Current research in Prof. Weiss’ lab employs the positron beam based spectroscopies he developed to provide unique information regarding the nature of the surfaces of 2 dimensional materials and the internal surfaces of porous materials.