RUI: Probing the Energy Gap of Clean Magnesium Diboride using High Resolution Tunneling Spectroscopy

*技术摘要*本项目将研究非常干净的多间隙超导体样品(如二硼化镁和一些铁基超导体)的超导能隙中的子结构。能隙是这些新材料研究中的一个关键特征，这些实验的结果可以帮助验证现有的理论，提供新的数据，并有助于更好地理解带隙分布在多带隙超导中的作用。实验将包括通过将样品冷却到低到很低(开尔文以下)的温度和使用高分辨率的数据采集技术来实现高分辨率隧道光谱。样品将由薄膜约瑟夫森结组成，将从几个合作者那里获得，这些合作者在制造高质量样品方面处于世界领先地位。这项研究将在一个以本科生为主的机构进行，那里的本科生研究正在迅速增长。该项目将支持对本科生和预科学生的培训，并为女性和少数民族在大多数学生为女性的文科环境中提供物理研究机会。*非技术摘要*本项目支持以本科生为主的机构进行超导体的实验研究。超导体的能隙是我们更好地理解和应用这些新材料的重要性质。虽然许多超导体只有一个能隙，但这项研究将以非常高的分辨率探测多带隙超导体的能隙，如二硼化镁和一些最近发现的铁基超导体。这将通过使用从研究合作者那里获得的非常干净的薄膜约瑟夫森结来实现，这些合作者在制造高质量样品方面处于世界领先地位。样品将被冷却到接近绝对零度的温度，并使用隧道光谱和高分辨率数据采集技术进行探测。这些结果将有助于验证现有的理论，并为更好地理解多能隙超导电性提供新的数据。该项目支持在64%的学生是女性的文科环境中对固态物理学本科生的教育和培训。本科生将接受低噪音电子学、低温和材料表征技能方面的培训，这些技能是研究生学习或在物理学和许多STEM领域工作所需的。此外，这项研究的教育部分使为期三天的中学女生暑期科学夏令营成为可能。夏令营旨在通过互动实验和真实世界物理演示、角色扮演活动、实验室参观和其他动手活动来提高人们对科学的兴趣。

****TECHNICAL ABSTRACT****This project will investigate sub-structure in the superconducting energy gap of very clean samples of multi-gapped superconductors such as magnesium diboride (MgB2) and some iron-based superconductors. The energy gap is a key feature in the study of these novel materials and the results of these experiments can help validate existing theories, provide new data, and contribute to a better understanding of the role of gap distribution in multi-gapped superconductivity. Experiments will involve high-resolution tunneling spectroscopy made possible by cooling samples to low to very low (sub-Kelvin) temperatures and using high-resolution techniques of data acquisition. Samples will consist of thin film Josephson junctions to be obtained from several collaborators who are world leaders in the fabrication of high-quality samples. This research will be carried out at a primarily undergraduate institution, where undergraduate research is rapidly growing. This project will support the training of undergraduate and pre-college students and open physics research opportunities for women and minorities in a liberal arts environment where majority of students are women.****NON-TECHNICAL ABSTRACT****This project supports the experimental study of superconductors in a primarily undergraduate institution. The energy gap of a superconductor is an important property that enables us to better understand and apply these novel materials. While many superconductors have only a single energy gap, this research will probe, to very high resolution, the energy gap of multi-gapped superconductors such as magnesium diboride and some of the recently-discovered iron-based superconductors. This will be made possible by using very clean thin film Josephson junctions obtained from research collaborators who are world leaders in the fabrication of high-quality samples. The samples will be cooled to temperatures close to absolute zero and probed using tunneling spectroscopy and high-resolution data acquisition techniques. The results will help validate existing theories and provide new data to better understand multi-gapped superconductivity. This project supports the education and training of undergraduates in solid-state physics in a liberal arts setting where sixty-four percent of students are women. Undergraduates will receive training in low-noise electronics, cryogenics, and materials characterization skills needed for graduate studies or work in physics and many STEM fields. Furthermore, the educational component of this research makes possible a three-day summer science camp for middle school girls. The camp is designed to enhance the interest in science through interactive experiments and demonstrations of real-world physics, role-playing activities, laboratory tours, and other hands-on activities.