Complex metallic alloys: Electronic instabilities

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This proposal is part of the Paketantrag “Physical Properties of Complex Metallic Alloys (PPCMA)”. The Paketantrag addresses Complex Metallic Alloys (CMAs) as a novel field in materials science with the primary goal to determine and understand the physical properties of a wide range of CMA phases. The Paketantrag scientifically complements the European Network of Excellence CMA.Complex metallic alloys currently fascinate the scientific community in terms of an unusual variety of unexpected physical properties. First studies also suggest, that the increasing complexity in CMAs represents a new route towards the emergence of novel electronic properties.We propose systematic studies of the bulk properties of selected CMAs to identify electronic instabilities such as superconductivity, spin and charge order and insulating behaviour. We further propose to study these materials with a host of neutron scattering techniques, most importantly structure refinements using cold neutron diffraction as well as neutron spin-echo measurements of ultra-slow spin dynamics in an applied magnetic field. Samples to be studied will be provided by the partner groups in the Paketantrag (Dresden, Frankfurt and Jülich). To carry out this project we request financial support for a postdoc, a resistance bridge for measurements of systems near a metal insulator transition and consumables.