CAREER: Neutron and X-Ray Scattering Studies of Unconventional Phase Transitions in Materials with Strong Interactions or Fluctuations

麻省理工学院这项教师早期职业发展(CALEAR)项目的目标是研究在强关联电子材料中发现的非传统电子和磁相。量子效应在多体态中起着核心作用，可能会产生非常规相(如高T_c超导和无序自旋液体)。该项目将包括以清洁的单晶形式合成重要材料，包括铜氧化物超导体和几何受阻磁体。中子和X射线散射实验将在国家散射设施中进行，以提供关于低温相的电荷、自旋和晶格自由度的纳米尺度不均匀性和涨落的独特信息。这些测量应该有助于识别这些高度相关的系统中相关的相互竞争的有序参数，这是当前许多人争论的话题。最终目标是了解多体基态的基本结构，以及创造展示新现象的新材料。该项目自然将培养未来的科学家，以充分利用国家在中子和同步加速器x射线散射设施方面的投资。麻省理工学院将为材料研究人员开设一门关于尖端散射技术的课程。此外，还将创建新的可视化工具来帮助本科生教授量子力学，并将这些工具用于针对当地高中生的推广计划。我们对材料的电子行为的理解是缺乏的。目前的理论不能描述由许多相互作用强烈的量子粒子(如电子)组成的系统的性质。在这些系统中可能会出现技术上有用的特性，如高温超导和巨磁电阻；然而，导致这些特性的机制尚不清楚。麻省理工学院的这个教师早期职业发展(CALEAR)项目的目标是研究在强相互作用的电子材料中发现的非传统电子和磁相。这个项目将涉及新材料的合成，以及用散射技术研究它们。中子和X射线可以从电子的自旋和电荷散射，因此可以提供关于这些系统中电子的集体行为的独特信息。最终的目标是了解新出现的多体现象背后的基本物理学，以及发现新的现象。这一项目自然会培养未来的科学家，以充分利用国家在大型分散设施上的投资。麻省理工学院将为材料研究人员开设一门关于尖端散射技术的课程。此外，还将创建新的可视化工具来帮助本科生教授量子力学，这些工具将用于当地高中生的外联项目。

The goal of this Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) project at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is to investigate the unconventional electronic and magnetic phases found in strongly correlated electron materials. Quantum effects play a central role in the many-body states, and unconventional phases may result (such as high-Tc superconductivity and disordered spin-liquids). This project will involve the synthesis of important materials, including copper-oxide superconductors and geometrically frustrated magnets, in clean, single-crystalline form. Neutron and x-ray scattering experiments will be performed at the national scattering facilities to provide unique information regarding nanoscale inhomogeneities and fluctuations of the charge, spin, and lattice degrees of freedom of the low-temperature phases. These measurements should help identify the relevant competing order parameters in these highly correlated systems, a topic of much current debate. The ultimate goal is to understand the basic structure of the many-body ground states, as well as create new materials that exhibit new phenomena. This project will naturally train future scientists to fully utilize the nation's investment in neutron and synchrotron x-ray scattering facilities. At MIT, a course will be taught to materials researchers on cutting-edge scattering techniques. Also, new visualization tools will be created to aid the teaching of quantum mechanics to undergraduates, and these will be used in outreach programs to local high-school students.Our understanding of the electronic behavior of materials is deficient. Current theory cannot describe the properties of systems composed of many quantum particles (such as electrons) that strongly interact with each other. Technologically useful properties may emerge within these systems, such as high temperature superconductivity and colossal magnetoresistance; however, the mechanisms that lead to these properties are not understood. The goal of this Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) project at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is to investigate the unconventional electronic and magnetic phases found in strongly interacting electron materials. This project will involve the synthesis of new materials, as well as studying them with scattering techniques. Neutrons and x-rays can scatter from the spin and charge of an electron, and thus can provide unique information regarding the collective behavior of the electrons in these systems. The ultimate goal is to understand the basic physics behind the emergent many-body phenomena, as well as discover new phenomena. This project will naturally train future scientists to fully utilize the nation's investment in large scattering facilities. At MIT, a course will be taught to materials researchers on cutting-edge scattering techniques. Also, new visualization tools will be created to aid the teaching of quantum mechanics to undergraduates, and these will be used in outreach programs to local high-school students.