CAREER: Vortices in Magnetic Superconductors Studied by Scanning Tunneling Microscopy

磁超导体，特别是高温超导体中的涡旋物理的研究，是重要的原因有很多。 从技术上讲，它对开发高电流超导导线以及其他可能的设备（包括高速开关和磁场探测器（SQUID））至关重要。科学上，它可能会导致更好地理解超导性本身，并更好地理解其他新现象，如无序系统中的相变。 马萨诸塞州理工学院的这个教师早期职业发展（CAREER）项目的目标是在原子尺度上研究磁性超导体中的新型相互作用。 使用扫描隧道显微镜（STM），这些相互作用将通过观察局部电子结构如何被磁涡旋的引入所扰动来探测。 除了这些研究之外，该项目还将为未来的研究奠定基础，包括开发在麻省理工学院和其他地方使用的工具，更重要的是，通过培训研究生，本科生和高中学生（以及通过推广计划的教师），为他们提供设计，建造和执行实验的经验，以帮助解决当今凝聚态物理学家面临的一些最大的谜团。 高温超导体是一种允许电流流动而不会浪费热量的材料，在过去的15年里已经得到了大量的研究，但仍然没有被理解。 最近，新的磁相互作用似乎是这些奇妙特性的原因。 马萨诸塞州理工学院的这个教师早期职业发展（CAREER）项目的目标是在原子尺度上研究这些材料和其他相关材料中磁性和超导性之间的关系。 除了更好地了解这些材料的科学之外，这项研究对未来技术也至关重要，例如开发高电流超导导线（例如用于发电站）和高速开关（例如用于手机站）。 除了这些研究之外，该项目还将为未来的研究奠定基础，包括开发在麻省理工学院和其他地方使用的工具，更重要的是，通过培训研究生，本科生和高中学生（以及通过推广计划的教师），为他们提供设计，建造和执行实验的经验，以帮助解决当今凝聚态物理学家面临的一些最大的谜团。

The study of vortex physics in magnetic superconductors, and particularly in high temperature superconductors, is important for a number of reasons. Technologically, it is critical to the development of high current superconducting wires, as well as to other possible devices, including high-speed switches and magnetic field detectors (SQUIDs). Scientifically it may lead to a better understanding of superconductivity itself and to a better understanding of other novel phenomena, such as phase transformations in disordered systems. The goal of this Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) project at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is to investigate, at the atomic scale, the novel interactions in magnetic superconductors. Using a scanning tunneling microscope (STM), these interactions will be probed by seeing how local electronic structure is perturbed by the introduction of magnetic vortices. In addition to these studies, the project will lay the groundwork for future research, both by developing tools for use at MIT and elsewhere, and, more importantly, by training graduate, undergraduate and high school students (and teachers through outreach programs), providing them the experience of designing, building and performing experiments to help solve some of the greatest mysteries facing condensed matter physicists today. High temperature superconductors, materials that allow the flow of electricity without the wasteful generation of heat, have been heavily studied over the past 15 years, but are still not understood. Recently, it appears that novel magnetic interactions are responsible for these fantastic properties. The goal of this Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) project at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is to investigate, at the atomic scale, the relationship between magnetism and superconductivity in these and other related materials. In addition to gaining a better understanding of the science of these materials, this study is also critical to future technologies, such as the development of high current superconducting wires (e.g. for power stations) and high-speed switches (e.g. for cell phone stations). In addition to these studies, the project will lay the groundwork for future research, both by developing tools for use at MIT and elsewhere, and, more importantly, by training graduate, undergraduate and high school students (and teachers through outreach programs), providing them the experience of designing, building and performing experiments to help solve some of the greatest mysteries facing condensed matter physicists today.