Mesoscopic Phase Modulations in Complex Materials

人们正在研究化学复杂的氧化物和其他材料，不仅是因为它们所展示的有趣的物理现象，而且还为了将它们结合到设备中以实现所需的功能。这类具有不同耦合物理自由度的功能复杂材料已被证明有利于介观相调制。科学地理解这些调制与宏观物理性质之间的相互关系对于控制复杂材料的技术功能是至关重要的。该项目致力于各种新型体系的合成和研究其物理性质的协作性实验。具体的主题包括受阻反铁磁体中自旋团簇的纳米尺度自组织，锰氧化物中的多尺度铁磁畴结构，以及混价氧化物中载流子的动态重新排序。还将研究铋超导体中电荷密度波和涡旋的可能关联以及铁电弛豫子的物理。拟议的活动将通过雇用(任职人数不足的)高中生(例如，通过新泽西州自由科学中心)、本科生、研究生以及博士后，进一步加强各级教育中研究的作用。本项目的研究成果将用于丰富研究生材料物理课程。在新材料中存在许多具有不同电子或磁性结构的小的介观区域，可能导致完全不同的宏观性质。这项研究旨在了解这些介观位相调制与几种材料的宏观物理性质之间的相互关系。这一理解可能是使使用复杂材料在新兴技术中实现所需功能成为可能的决定性因素。该项目涉及利用现有的、协作的机构间和国际研究人员团队提供的各种技术和技能进行合成和表征工作。这项拟议的研究将通过雇用高中、本科生和研究生，进一步加强各级教育中研究的作用。例如，高中生将通过科学伙伴计划(由新泽西州自由科学中心组织)参与拟议的研究，并为纽瓦克地区代表性不足的高中生举办暑期研讨会。

Chemically complex oxides and other materials are being investigated not only for the interesting physical phenomena they exhibit but also with a view to incorporating them in devices to perform desired functions. Such functional, complex materials with various coupled physical degrees of freedom have proven to be conducive to mesoscopic phase modulations. Scientific understanding of the interrelationship between these modulations and macroscopic physical properties is of prime importance for controlling the technological functionality of complex materials. This project is focused on the synthesis of a variety of novel systems and collaborative experiments for the study of their physical properties. The specific topics include the nanoscale self-organization of spin clusters in frustrated antiferromagnets, multiscale ferromagnetic domain structures in manganites and the dynamic reordering of charge carriers in mixed-valent oxides. The possible correlation of charge density waves and vortices in Bi superconductors and the physics of ferroelectric relaxors will be also studied. The proposed activities will further strengthen the role of research at all levels of education by employing (underrepresented) high school students (through, e.g., the Liberty Science Center, New Jersey), undergraduate students, graduate students as well as postdocs. Research results from this project will be used for enriching graduate materials physics course. The presence of many small, mesocopic regions of distinct electronic or magnetic structures in novel materials may lead to entirely different macroscopic properties. The proposed research is aimed at the understanding of the interrelationship between these mesoscopic phase modulations and macroscopic physical properties in several materials. This understanding can be the decisive factor that will make the use of complex materials to perform desired functions in emerging technologies possible. The project involves synthesis and characterization efforts using a variety of techniques and skills available through an established, collaborative inter-institutional and international team of researchers. The proposed study will further strengthen the role of research at all levels of education by employing high school, undergraduate, and graduate students. For example, high school students will be involved in the proposed research through the Partners in Science program (organized by the Liberty Science Center, NJ) and a summer workshop for the underrepresented high school students in the Newark area.