RUI: Investigation of Strongly Correlated Electron Behavior in Rare Earth Related Materials

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Non-Technical Abstract:This project supports materials science research of rare-earth related materials at an undergraduate institution. The primary focus is on the synthesis and characterization of superconducting materials and magnetic nanoparticles, with the goal of understanding their underlying mechanisms. Many versatile technical applications result utilization of the rare-earth compounds under study such as energy conservation and energy storage by applying superconducting materials and digital information storage and medical imaging by utilizing the magnetic nanomaterials. The research in the principal investigator's laboratory allows direct participation of undergraduate and master-degree-program students in the experimental condensed matter physics, giving them hands-on experience at the early stage of their academic life. The research experience and practical placement provided by this project encourage students to pursue higher education and careers in the fields of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math).Technical Abstract:This project supports experimental research in the strongly correlated electron phenomena in rare-earth related materials. These phenomena arise from a subtle interplay between competing interactions, either electronic or magnetic. They can be controlled through tuning the experimental parameters such as temperature, magnetic field, chemical composition, and reduced dimensionality. The rare-earth materials under study can be used as model systems to probe the localized and itinerant nature of the electron states and test the existing theories for strongly correlated electron physics. These can be achieved through the synthesis of high-quality specimens and the establishment of transport and thermodynamic properties. In the rare-earth filled skutterudite systems Pr1-xNdxOs4Sb12, the principal investigator is aiming to understand the unconventional nature of the superconductivity in PrOs4Sb12 by the effect of neodymium substitution. Furthermore, via the investigation of the electronic structures of related compounds CeOs4Sb12, NdOs4Sb12, and SmOs4Sb12, it can give insight on the quantum critical behavior in the Pr1-xNdxOs4Sb12 system and the role of the quadruple moment fluctuation. The study of nanoparticles of gadolinium and neodymium can enhance the knowledge on the effect of reduced size on magnetic ordering, domain wall movement, and surface electron states.