CAREER: Electron Quantum Kinetics in Metallic Nanostructures

技术概述：该职业奖支持专注于纳米级结构中电子对外部场（如电场）响应的理论研究和教育。这些系统处于热力学平衡之外，电子的传播对外部场非常敏感。PI将在量子动力学方程的基础上结合图解和半经典方法进行理论描述，并重点研究金属纳米粒子和纳米线的电子特性，以及受量子电子传播和相互作用诱导弛豫之间复杂相互作用支配的横向电子量子点。PI将分析电子之间的库仑、磁性和超导配对相互作用在决定纳米级导体的输运和热力学性质方面的作用。特别令人感兴趣的是磁性和超导相互作用引起的不稳定性。在平衡体系统中，已知这些不稳定性会导致相变。PI将寻找这些不稳定性在非平衡纳米级系统中的表现，以及它们对这些系统的非线性输运和噪声特性的影响。PI还将研究具有相互作用磁性杂质子系统的传统超导体中的输运。高迁移率二维电子系统存在于半导体异质结构中，在中等磁场下也表现出多种非线性现象，如微波诱导磁振荡和振荡差分直流电阻。高迁移率二维电子气体的实验研究结果令人困惑，需要进一步的研究，包括电子-电子和电子-声子相互作用的分析。具有更复杂能带结构的二维系统也将被研究。教育部分包括为学生开发专门的讲座课程和研究机会，旨在使他们能够学习现代理论方法，并在毕业后独立从事尖端研究项目。它还包括一个扩展组件，旨在向高中生和当地社区成员解释纳米长度尺度上凝聚态物理的现代挑战。PI将积极地让代表性不足的群体成员参与研究和学习。PI还将积极参与现有的地方外展计划，旨在提高公众对材料科学和纳米技术的进步、前景和社会效益的认识。该职业奖支持以纳米尺度的原子和分子的金属结构为重点的理论研究和教育。作为参考，人类的头发大约是人类头发的10万倍。这些微小纳米结构中包含的电子需要量子力学描述，包括它们的波状特性。这个研究项目的重点是纳米结构中的电子如何对外部场做出反应，就像人们可能会联想到传统电源的电场一样。最近的实验表明，有趣的新现象会出现。这项研究的一个重点是发现新的现象，以及有助于理解对线状纳米结构和纳米结构的实验，这些纳米结构比一个或一个点的集合多一点。一些宏观材料会变成磁铁，或者显示出物质的其他电子状态。它们是电子相互作用的结果。PI特别感兴趣的是发现在电子暴露于场的纳米结构中出现的这些状态的类似物。这是一项基础性研究，有助于在纳米尺度上发现新的现象和物质的新状态，这可能会导致新的电子设备技术，以追求持续提高性能和减小电子设备的尺寸，这是现代计算机兴起的特征。教育部分包括为学生开发专门的讲座课程和研究机会，旨在使他们能够学习现代理论方法，并在毕业后独立从事尖端研究项目。它还包括一个扩展组件，旨在向高中生和当地社区成员解释纳米长度尺度上凝聚态物理的现代挑战。PI将积极地让代表性不足的群体成员参与研究和学习。PI还将积极参与现有的地方外展计划，旨在提高公众对材料科学和纳米技术的进步、前景和社会效益的认识。

TECHNICAL SUMMARYThis CAREER award supports theoretical research and education focused on the response of electrons in nanoscale structures to external fields, such as electric fields. These systems are out of thermodynamic equilibrium and the propagation of electrons is very sensitive to external fields. The PI will pursue a theoretical description based on the quantum kinetic equation combined with diagrammatic and semiclassical methods and focus on the electronic properties of metallic nanoparticles and nanowires, and lateral electron quantum dots which are governed by a complicated interplay between quantum electron propagation and interaction-induced relaxations. The PI will analyze the role of Coulomb, magnetic, and superconducting pairing interactions between electrons in determining transport and thermodynamic properties of nanoscale conductors. Of particular interest are the instabilities due to magnetic and superconducting interactions. In equilibrium bulk systems these instabilities are known to result in phase transitions. The PI will look for manifestations of these instabilities in out-of-equilibrium nanoscale systems and their effects on non-linear transport and noise characteristics of these systems. The PI will also investigate transport in conventional superconductors with a subsystem of interacting magnetic impurities.High mobility two-dimensional electron systems, existing in semiconductor heterostructures, also show a wide variety of non-linear phenomena in moderate magnetic fields, such as microwave-induced magnetooscillations and oscillatory differential dc resistance. The results of experimental studies of high mobility two dimensional electron gases have been puzzling and further investigation is needed, including an analysis of electron-electron and electron-phonon interactions. Two-dimensional systems with more complicated band structure will be investigated as well.The education component involves developing a special lecture course and a research opportunity for students aimed at enabling them to learn modern theoretical methods and to work independently on cutting edge research projects following their graduation. It also includes an outreach component that will aim to explain the modern challenges of condensed matter physics arising on nanometer length-scales to high school students and members of the local community. The PI will proactively engage members of underrepresented groups in research and learning.The PI will also actively participate in existing local outreach programs aimed at enhancing public awareness of progress, promises and benefits to society of materials sciences and nanotechnology.NONTECHNICAL SUMMARYThis CAREER award supports theoretical research and education focused on metallic structures of atoms and molecules that have dimensions on the scale of nanometers. For reference, a human hair is about a hundred thousand times larger. The electrons contained in these tiny nanostructures require a quantum mechanical description that includes their wave-like properties. This research project is focused on how the electrons in nanostructures respond to external fields, like an electric field that one might associate with conventional electric power source. Recent experiments have shown that interesting new phenomena can arise. A focus of this research is the discovery of new phenomena as well as contributing to the understanding of experiments on wire-like nanostructures and nanostructures that are little more than one or an assembly of dots. Some macroscopic materials become magnets or may display other electronic states of matter. These arise as a consequence of interactions among electrons. The PI is particularly interested in discovering analogs of these states that arise in nanostructures where the electrons are exposed to fields. This is fundamental research that contributes to the discovery of new phenomena and new states of matter on the nanoscale which can lead to new electronic device technologies in the quest to sustain increasing performance and decreasing size of electronic devices that have characterized the rise of modern computers.The education component involves developing a special lecture course and a research opportunity for students aimed at enabling them to learn modern theoretical methods and to work independently on cutting edge research projects following their graduation. It also includes an outreach component that will aim to explain the modern challenges of condensed matter physics arising on nanometer length-scales to high school students and members of the local community. The PI will proactively engage members of underrepresented groups in research and learning.The PI will also actively participate in existing local outreach programs aimed at enhancing public awareness of progress, promises and benefits to society of materials sciences and nanotechnology.