Dr. Luc Beaulieu
Department of Physics and Physical Oceanography
Dr. Luc Beaulieu
Dr. Beaulieu’s research program is focused on improving the sensing capability of cantilever-based sensors as well as developing new types of sensors for performing molecular detection at and below the parts per billion range. Currently funded by both NSERC and CFI, Dr. Beaulieu is constructing a materials science and scanning probe microscopy laboratory in the Department of Physics and Physical Oceanography. The novelty of this laboratory is that it will allow Dr. Beaulieu’s research group to perform their materials synthesis, characterization, and testing in a finely controlled atmospheres ranging to perfectly inert to highly reactive with ranging moisture content. This experimental setup will give Dr. Beaulieu’s research program an enormous advantage over other scientists worldwide doing similar research. Besides performing experiments, Dr. Beaulieu’s experience is in materials science and scanning probe microscopy. During his PhD, Dr. Beaulieu built a unique workstation that allowed him to measure, for the first time, the large volume changes (over 300 per cent) occurring in Li-Ion batteries as they underwent electrochemical reactions. This work has lead to several publications and invited talks. During this post-doc, Dr. Beaulieu changed research directions to cantilever-based sensors where he directed a team of three PhD students using cantilever sensors for performing electrochemical, molecular and biological sensing. This work has lead to several papers describing core issues regarding the use and design of cantilever-based sensors as well as one patent currently under consideration.
Dr. Beaulieu began his post-secondary education at George Brown College in Toronto where he completed a diploma in construction engineering technology. After this Dr. Beaulieu changed directions and completed a physics and mathematics degree at the University of Ottawa. Dr. Beaulieu completed his graduate studies with Jeff Dahn at Dalhousie University. After completing this PhD, Dr. Beaulieu went to McGill University where he worked in Peter Grütter’s laboratory as a NSERC postdoctoral fellow.