CAREER: New Materials in Condensed Matter Physics - The Case of Quasicrystals

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The search for, and synthesis of, new materials plays a crucial role in Condensed Matter Physics. Quasicrystals are a specific case of interest because they possess long-range atomic order but without the translational symmetry of conventional crystals. It is therefore possible to explore the consequences of an ordered but non-periodic structure on physical, magnetic and electronic properties of a material. This Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award will fund a project that will address outstanding questions in the field of quasicrystals via the synthesis and measurement of high-quality, single-grain samples. In particular, this work will explore and clarify the complex roles of order, periodicity and structural perfection on electronic transport, and magnetic ground states and phase transitions in quasicrystals. The materials are for the most part incongruently melting, and the self-flux technique is a well-suited synthesis route. Experimental techniques used to probe the thermodynamic and transport properties include susceptibility, heat capacity, resistivity and Hall effect measurements. The students involved with this research will learn synthesis, characterization, and analysis skills that will enable them to find future employment in academe, industry, or government laboratories. In addition the PI's research efforts will be integrated into a new lecture course that introduces contemporary challenges in the field of condensed matter physics via the detailed discussion of canonical materials. Specific examples and experimental techniques from the PI's own laboratory will be used to motivate and illustrate various aspects of this course. The PI will also continue his interest in scientific publication for children.Advances in the field of Condensed Matter Physics often go hand-in-hand with the development of new materials. These advances may herald new theoretical challenges, a clearer understanding of well-known phenomena or advanced applications. In all cases, the search for, and synthesis of, new materials plays a crucial role, and this is the focus of the PI's laboratory at Stanford University. Quasicrystals are a specific case in point. These exotic materials possess long-range atomic order but without the translational symmetry of conventional crystals. It is therefore possible to explore the consequences of an ordered but non-periodic structure on physical, magnetic and electronic properties of a material. This Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award will fund a project that will address outstanding questions in the field of quasicrystals via the synthesis and measurement of high-quality, single-grain samples. In particular, this work will explore and clarify the complex roles of order, periodicity and structural perfection on electronic transport, and magnetic ground states and phase transitions in quasicrystals. The students involved with this research will learn synthesis, characterization, and analysis skills that will enable them to find future employment in academe, industry, or government laboratories. In addition the PI's research efforts will be integrated into a new lecture course that introduces contemporary challenges in the field of condensed matter physics via the detailed discussion of canonical materials. Specific examples and experimental techniques from the PI's own laboratory will be used to motivate and illustrate various aspects of this course. The PI will also continue his interest in scientific publication for children.