Studies of High-Tc Superconductors and Molecular Materials under Extreme Hydrostatic Pressure

尽管付出了巨大的努力，但高温超导体还没有实现人们对它们吹嘘的期望。对这些材料既没有很好的基本了解，也没有能力将它们加工成许多潜在的应用。钙钛矿型结构的复杂性和缺陷的重要影响阻碍了这方面的研究进展。这一个人研究人员奖将资助一个项目，研究温度和压力激活的高温超导材料及其晶界中的缺陷弛豫过程。所获得的知识将有助于制定战略，以优化超导性能，特别是电流载流能力，并为长期应用稳定它们。此外，通过抑制低温实验中的弛豫过程，可以在很宽的晶格参数和载流子浓度范围内确定T_c与压力的内在依赖关系，从而允许对理论进行有意义的检验，并可能为T_c的更高值指明方向。此外，还计划对分子磁体和超导体进行高压实验。这项研究将涉及与一名俄罗斯科学家的合作。参与该项目的研究生和本科生将从接触国际合作中受益，并学习为未来的科学生涯做准备的技能。高温超导体在近15年前被发现后，还没有实现人们对它们的吹嘘期望。只有几个专门的应用程序进入了市场。这些材料复杂的结构和多种结构缺陷的存在阻碍了材料的发展。其中一些缺陷甚至可以在室温下迁移，从而降低重要的性能，如电流载流量。这一个人调查员奖将资助一个项目，研究移动缺陷的属性，并试图制定一种策略来防止它们的迁移。这将为进一步的应用打开大门，并允许更好地理解为什么这些材料在如此高的温度下是超导的，并可能为在更高的温度下实现超导指明方向。这项研究将涉及与一名俄罗斯科学家的合作。参与该项目的研究生和本科生将从接触国际合作中受益，并学习为未来的科学职业做准备的技能。

Despite enormous efforts, high-temperature superconductors have yet to fulfill the vaunted expectations placed in them. There exists neither a good basic understanding of these materials, nor the ability to process them for many potential applications. Progress has been impeded by the complexity of the perovskite-like structure and the important influence of defects. This individual investigator award will fund a project to study the temperature- and pressure-activated defect relaxation processes in both bulk high-Tc materials and their grain boundaries. The knowledge gained will help develop strategies to optimize the superconducting properties, in particular the current carrying capacity, and stabilize them for long-term applications. In addition, by suppressing the relaxation processes in a low-temperature experiment, the intrinsic dependence of Tc on pressure will be determined over a broad range of lattice parameter and carrier concentration, thus allowing a meaningful test of theory and perhaps pointing the way to higher values of Tc. High-pressure experiments on molecular magnets and superconductors are also planned. The research will involve a collaboration with a Russian scientist. Graduate and undergraduate students working on this project will benefit from the exposure to international collaborations as well as learn skills that will prepare them for future scientific careers.%%%High-temperature superconductors have yet to fulfill the vaunted expectations placed in them after their discovery nearly 15 years ago. Only a few specialized applications have reached the marketplace. Progress has been impeded by the complicated structure of these materials and the presence of many kinds of structural defects. Some of these defects can even migrate around at room temperature, thus degrading important properties, such as the current carrying capacity. This individual investigator award will fund a project to study the properties of mobile defects and try to develop a strategy to prevent their migration. This will open the door to further applications and also permit a better understanding of why these materials are superconducting at such high temperatures and perhaps point the way toward superconductivity at much higher temperatures. The research will involve a collaboration with a Russian scientist. Graduate and undergraduate students working on this project will benefit from the exposure to international collaborations as well as learn skills that will prepare them for future scientific careers.***