Strongly Correlated Electron Phenomena in Rare Earth and Actinide Intermetallics

由于定域f电子和巡回电子状态之间的杂化，具有不稳定价态的稀土和锕系元素的化合物（例如，Ce，Sm，Eu，Tm，Yb，U）具有丰富多样的电子现象。该个人研究者奖将支持研究，重点是量子临界点附近的正常和超导状态，非常规类型的超导性，以及CeMIn 5（M = Co，Rh，Ir）和新填充方钴矿重费米子超导体PrOs 4Sb 12等材料中的其他强相关电子现象。该研究将新型f-电子材料的制备与其传输，热和磁特性的测量结合起来，这些特性是温度，磁场和压力的函数，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相关电子现象的理解，同时可能导致新现象和/或新材料的发现。这项研究可能对高温超导体和热电制冷和磁信息存储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新型材料制备和表征以及这些材料各种物理性质测量的先进技术培训。许多由稀土或锕系元素形成的材料显示出丰富多样的非凡现象，但由于异常强烈的电子相互作用，这些现象尚未得到充分理解。例子包括高温超导体，重费米子材料，其中电子的行为似乎比平常重数百倍，以及超导性和磁性共存的材料，尽管它们通常相互排斥。该个人研究者奖将支持在同一实验室中集成此类新型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特性的研究。这些研究的结果将有助于进一步了解电子之间的相互作用产生这些引人注目的行为类型的方式，并可能导致新现象和/或新材料的发现。这项研究可能对高温超导体和热电制冷和磁信息存储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，用于制备和表征新材料以及测量这些材料的各种物理特性。

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.