Experimental Investigations of an Inhomogeneous Electronic Phase of Matter, the Cooper Pair Insulator

*技术摘要*这个项目将包括低温实验，以阐明同时表现出超导体和绝缘体特征的物质状态的性质。它建立在实质性进展的基础上，表明这种库珀对绝缘体状态具有自发出现的空间不均匀颗粒结构。这种性质在许多其他有趣的系统中很常见，在这些系统中电子关联效应很强。实验将集中在沉积在纳米多孔阳极氧化氧化铝衬底表面的非晶态薄膜中的库珀对绝缘体相。将研究该相对磁性杂质掺杂的响应，取决于薄膜的物理尺寸，并随着衬底纳米结构的系统变化而演变。这些结果可以揭示库珀对局域化的驱动因素和局域态的大小。这些研究将成为培训研究生和本科生有关纳米技术和与应用新材料开发相关的前沿问题的平台。这种类型的培训已经为在行业中就业做好了准备。这些结果将对凝聚态电子学的一般领域产生影响，为粒度的产生和相关电子系统的性质提供新的见解。*非技术摘要*该奖项支持将与博士和本科生一起进行的凝聚态物理实验研究。这些调查特别关注一类使用纳米技术进行了戏剧性转变的材料。这种材料通常是超导性的(即携带电力而不损失能量)，但当使用纳米技术构图时，它会成为一种特殊的电非导体或绝缘体。这些实验建立在最近的工作基础上，表明这些绝缘体是由电子断开的超导体颗粒组成的，这些颗粒的大小只有十亿分之一米。这些实验将研究驱动这些颗粒自发形成的因素。这些见解将对理解许多其他最近发现的材料的电学性质具有价值，这些材料显示出类似的自发颗粒形成，并在未来的应用中具有前景。这项研究计划将使博士生和本科生接触到与高科技新材料开发相关的科学问题。这种类型的培训对于启动高科技领域的科学家的职业生涯来说一直是非常好的。

****Technical Abstract**** This project will involve low temperature experiments that elucidate properties of a state of matter exhibiting both superconductor and insulator characteristics simultaneously. It builds on substantial progress showing that this Cooper pair insulator state has a spatially inhomogeneous granular structure that emerges spontaneously. This quality appears commonly among many other interesting systems in which electron correlations effects are strong. Experiments will focus on the Cooper pair insulator phase in thin amorphous films deposited on the surfaces of nano-porous anodized aluminum oxide substrates. Investigations of how this phase responds to magnetic impurity doping, depends on the physical dimensions of the films and evolves with systematic changes in the substrate nano-structure will be conducted. These results can reveal the factors driving the Cooper pair localization and the size of the localized states. These studies will be the platform for training graduate and undergraduate students in nano-technology and forefront issues relevant to the development of new materials for applications. This type of training has been good preparation for careers in industry. The results will impact the general field of condensed matter electronics by providing new insights into how granularity emerges and the properties of correlated electron systems.****Non-Technical Abstract**** This award supports experimental research in condensed matter physics that will be performed with PhD and undergraduate students. The investigations focus specifically on a class of materials that has been transformed dramatically using nano-technology. The material normally superconducts (i.e. carries electricity without losing energy) but becomes an exceptional electrical non-conductor or insulator when patterned with nano-technology. The experiments build on recent work showing that these insulators consist of electrically disconnected grains of superconductor that are few billionths of a meter in size. The experiments will study the factors that drive the spontaneous formation of these grains. These insights will be valuable for understanding the electrical properties of many other recently discovered materials that show similar spontaneous grain formation as well as promise in future applications. This research program will expose the PhD and undergraduate students to scientific issues relevant to the development of new materials for high technology. This type of training has been excellent for launching the careers of scientists in high technology fields.