CAREER: Collective transport near quantum critical points in superconducting nanostructures

技术摘要：该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。本学院早期职业奖资助一项提案，旨在对我们目前对超导纳米结构中量子相变（QPT）物理学的理解产生重大影响。具有精确工程结构和输运特性的纳米级氧化铟器件将用于探索超导体-绝缘体QPT的无序和相互作用之间的微妙相互作用。这些实验将提供关于在一维和二维器件中通过无序、密度或磁场调谐跃迁时微观传导机制的明确信息。该结果将提高我们目前对相相干性的理解，并在量子临界点附近出现新的集体相。研究与提案的教育部分紧密结合：探索电子量子性质的本科生实验室实验将被开发，实践研究机会将提供给包括布法罗地区高中科学教师在内的更广泛群体。该教育计划还寻求通过各种现代教学方法改善学生在本科物理导论课程中的学习体验。摘要：该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。这个教师早期职业奖的目标是有效地将实验研究与教育和推广计划结合起来，探索超导纳米结构中接近临界点的量子相，以培养新一代的本科生、研究生和高中教师。该研究计划将寻求在工程上对所用材料（氧化铟）的微观结构和性能进行前所未有的控制，并且本文提出的纳米器件中的输运测量有望改变我们目前对一维和二维系统中量子相的理解。综合教育方面将涉及与PI的研究活动密切相关的几个项目。s组。在布法罗地区的大学本科生或K-12物理教师的帮助下，将开发一个新的本科实验室实验，用于学习电子量子本质的基本概念。在非专业物理导论课程中实施现代教学方法，从而提高广大学生的学习体验和科学意识。研究和教育活动的成果将通过参加当地艺术节和纽约州？这是STEP程序。

Technical Abstract:This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). This Faculty Early Career Award funds a proposal that seeks to make significant impact on our current understanding of the physics of quantum phase transitions (QPT) in superconducting nanostructures. Nanometer scale indium oxide devices with precisely engineered structural and transport characteristics will be utilized to probe the subtle interplay between disorder and interaction across the superconductor-insulator QPT. These experiments will provide explicit information about the microscopic conduction mechanisms when the transition is tuned via disorder, density or magnetic field in one and two-dimensional devices. The results will improve our current understanding of the phase coherence and emergence of novel collective phases near quantum critical points. Research is closely integrated with the education component of the proposal: an undergraduate laboratory experiment to explore quantum nature of electrons will be developed and hands-on research opportunities will be provided to a broader group including high school science teachers in the Buffalo region. The education plan also seeks to improve the learning experience of students in undergraduate introductory physics courses through a variety of modern teaching methods. Non-technical Abstract:This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The goal of this Faculty Early Career Award is to effectively combine experimental research to explore quantum phases near critical points in superconducting nanostructures with education and outreach programs to train a new generation of undergraduate and graduate students and high school teachers. The research proposal will seek an unprecedented control in engineering the microstructure and property of the material used (indium oxide) and the transport measurements in nanodevices proposed herein are expected to transform our current understanding of quantum phases in one and two-dimensional systems. The integrated educational aspects will involve several projects closely related to the research activities in the PI?s group. A new undergraduate laboratory experiment for learning the basic concept of quantum nature of electrons will be developed with the help of undergraduate students at the university or K-12 physics teachers in the Buffalo region. Modern teaching methods will be implemented in introductory physics courses for non-majors, thereby improving the learning experience and scientific awareness among a wider student body. The results of the research and educational activities will be disseminated to the general public through participation in local art festivals and New York State?s STEP program.