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

麻省理工学院教师早期职业发展（Career）项目的目标是研究在强相关电子材料中发现的非常规电子和磁相。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tc超导和无序自旋液体）。该项目将涉及重要材料的合成，包括氧化铜超导体和几何挫折磁铁，以清洁的单晶形式。中子和x射线散射实验将在国家散射设施上进行，以提供有关低温相的纳米尺度不均匀性和电荷、自旋和晶格自由度波动的独特信息。这些测量应该有助于在这些高度相关的系统中确定相关的竞争顺序参数，这是当前争论的一个话题。最终目标是了解多体基态的基本结构，并创造出能够表现新现象的新材料。这个项目自然会培养未来的科学家，以充分利用国家在中子和同步加速器x射线散射设施上的投资。在麻省理工学院，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，将创建新的可视化工具，以帮助向本科生教授量子力学，这些工具将用于向当地高中生推广的项目。我们对材料的电子行为的理解是不足的。目前的理论无法描述由许多量子粒子（如电子）组成的系统的性质，这些系统彼此之间存在强烈的相互作用。在这些系统中可能会出现技术上有用的特性，例如高温超导性和巨磁电阻；然而，导致这些特性的机制尚不清楚。麻省理工学院教师早期职业发展（Career）项目的目标是研究在强相互作用电子材料中发现的非常规电子和磁相。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中散射，因此可以提供关于这些系统中电子集体行为的独特信息。最终目标是理解出现的多体现象背后的基本物理学，以及发现新的现象。这个项目自然会培养未来的科学家，以充分利用国家对大型散射设施的投资。在麻省理工学院，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，将创建新的可视化工具，以帮助向本科生教授量子力学，这些工具将用于向当地高中生推广的项目。

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.