Strongly Correlated Electron Phenomena in Rare Earth and Actinide Intermetallics

由于局域f电子态和巡回电子态的杂化，稀土元素和具有不稳定价态(如Ce、Sm、Eu、Tm、Yb、U)的榄系元素的化合物显示出丰富的新的电子现象。这一个人研究人员奖将支持专注于量子临界点附近的正常和超导态、非传统类型的超导以及材料中其他强相关电子现象的研究，例如CeMIn5(M=Co，Rh，Ir)和新填充的Skutterudite重费米子超导体PrOs4Sb12。这项研究将新型f电子材料的制备与它们的输运、热和磁性能作为温度、磁场和压力的函数的测量结合在一起，所有这些都在同一个实验室中进行。所获得的结果将促进对强关联电子现象的理解，同时可能导致新现象和/或新材料的发现。这项研究可能会对高温超导体以及用于热电制冷和磁信息存储的材料的技术应用产生影响。博士后研究人员、研究生和本科生将接受先进技术培训，以制备和表征新材料，并测量这些材料的各种物理性质。由于异常强烈的电子相互作用，许多由稀土或鳗系元素形成的材料显示出丰富多样的特殊现象，但尚不清楚。例子包括高温超导体、重费米子材料，在这些材料中，电子的行为就像它们比平时重数百倍，以及超导和磁性共存的材料，尽管它们通常是相互排斥的。这一个人研究人员奖将支持在同一实验室中整合这些新材料的制备以及在不同温度、磁场和压力条件下测量其物理性能的研究。这些研究的结果将有助于加深对电子之间相互作用产生这些惊人类型行为的方式的理解，并可能导致新现象和/或新材料的发现。这项研究可能会对高温超导体以及用于热电制冷和磁信息存储的材料的技术应用产生影响。参与的博士后研究人员、研究生和本科生将接受先进技术的培训，以制备和表征新材料，并测量这些材料的各种物理性质。

As a result of hybridization between localized f-electron and itinerant electron states, compounds of rare earth and actinide elements with an unstable valence (e.g., Ce, Sm, Eu, Tm, Yb, U) display a rich variety of novel electronic phenomena. This Individual Investigator Award will support research that focuses on normal and superconducting states near quantum critical points, unconventional types of superconductivity, and other strongly correlated electron phenomena in materials such as CeMIn5 (M = Co, Rh, Ir) and the new filled skutterudite heavy fermion superconductor PrOs4Sb12. The research integrates the preparation of novel f-electron materials with the measurement of their transport, thermal, and magnetic properties as a function of temperature, magnetic field, and pressure, all in the same laboratory. Results obtained will advance understanding of strongly correlated electron phenomena, while possibly leading to the discovery of new phenomena and/or novel materials. The research may have implications for technological applications involving high temperature superconductors and materials for thermoelectric refrigeration and magnetic information storage. Involved postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, and undergraduate students will be trained in advanced techniques for the preparation and characterization of novel materials and the measurement of various physical properties of these materials.Many materials formed from rare earth or actinide elements display a rich variety of extraordinary and as yet poorly understood phenomena, due to unusually strong electron interactions. Examples include high-temperature superconductors, heavy fermion materials in which electrons act as if they are hundreds of times heavier than usual, and materials in which superconductivity and magnetism coexist despite their usual mutual exclusivity. This Individual Investigator Award will support research that integrates, in the same laboratory, the preparation of such novel materials and the measurement of their physical properties under different conditions of temperature, magnetic field, and pressure. Results of these studies will help advance understanding of the way in which the interactions between electrons generate these striking types of behavior, and could lead to the discovery of new phenomena and/or novel materials. The research may have implications for technological applications involving high temperature superconductors and materials for thermoelectric refrigeration and magnetic information storage. Involved postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, and undergraduate students will be trained in advanced techniques for the preparation and characterization of novel materials and the measurement of various physical properties of these materials.