Probing electronic symmetry breaking in strain-tuned quantum matter

该奖项是2021财年数学和物理科学提升博士后研究奖学金（MPS-Ascend）的一部分。每项奖学金在一名赞助科学家的指导下，支持一项在接收院校进行的数学和物理科学领域的研究和培训项目，包括对其他学科的应用。这项奖学金授予约书亚·桑切斯博士，以支持他的研究项目，名为“探索应变调谐量子物质中的电子对称性破缺”。该奖学金的主办机构是麻省理工学院，赞助科学家是里卡多·科明博士。桑切斯的研究重点是量子材料中的机械应变调谐，以研究以电荷和晶格自由度强耦合为特征的量子物质中的电子对称性破缺。他计划通过在麻省理工学院举办实验室参观和领导研究生院申请写作研讨会，扩大在当地少数族裔社区学院的参与。在指导本科生的过程中，桑切斯博士将为学生创造前往大型x射线设施的机会，在那里他们将进行第一手的x射线测量。在向更广泛的社区拓展方面，桑切斯博士将与美国物理学会合作，进行重要的文化变革，为全国不同的学生创造一个更有利的环境。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award is made as part of the FY 2021 Mathematical and Physical Sciences Ascending Postdoctoral Research Fellowships (MPS-Ascend). Each fellowship supports a research and training project at a host institution in the mathematical and physical sciences, including applications to other disciplines, under the mentorship of a sponsoring scientist. This fellowship to Dr. Joshua Sanchez supports his research project entitled "Probing electronic symmetry breaking in strain-tuned quantum matter." The host institution for the fellowship is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the sponsoring scientist is Dr. Riccardo Comin.Dr. Sanchez's research focuses on mechanical strain tuning in quantum materials to investigate electronic symmetry breaking in quantum matter characterized by strong coupling of charge and lattice degrees of freedom. The fellow plans to broaden participation at local majority-minority community colleges through hosting lab tours at MIT and leading graduate-school application-writing workshops. In mentoring undergraduates, Dr. Sanchez will create travel opportunities for the students to large-scale x-ray facilities where they will perform first-hand x-ray measurements. With regards to outreach to the broader community Dr. Sanchez will work with the American Physical Society to make important cultural changes to create a more fostering environment for diverse students nationally.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.