Unraveling the Topological Superconductivity of FeTeSe

非技术描述：这个项目将回答关于一类新的拓扑系统的性质的基本问题。重点放在FeTeSe上，这种新的状态被认为是拓扑和超导电性的组合。量子材料的这个新方向预示着对量子性质的探索。然而，它也在凝聚态中提出了一个持续不断的挑战，该提议直接解决了这个问题，即如何唯一地识别出现态的拓扑性质。拟议的实验将通过观察自旋-轨道耦合、带宽、接触属性、对称性、超导和拓扑顺序的作用来直接解决这一挑战。该建议包括通过林奇教育学院的城市学校科学教育者计划向K-12提供有关2D材料和拓扑的信息；通过Skype a Science计划直接与K-12进行对话；通过与BC的McNair和女性科学和技术计划合作，增加女性、第一代和代表不足的少数群体的参与。技术描述：物质的拓扑相，由希尔伯特空间中的不变量定义，很难识别和探索。这些通常是通过体-边界对应来演示的，其中非平凡的拓扑产生了新的模式。对于超导体中出现的拓扑相，边界模的非平凡性质很难从实验上揭示出来。这些模式也为未来拓扑量子计算中受保护的量子比特提供了潜力。有越来越多的证据表明，在FeTeSe的超导状态下存在这样的模式。这个项目建立在首席研究员提出的FeTeSe中的拓扑边界模式的最新结果基础上。为了了解与大块有序的关系，系统的实验将探索发生这种情况的器件配置和材料参数。此外，拟议的实验有助于让高中和本科水平的不同参与者参与对提高他们在STEM中的代表性至关重要的尖端主题和技术。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Non-technical description: This project will answer fundamental questions about the properties of a new class of topological systems. The focus is on FeTeSe, where the novel state is believed to emerge from the combination of topology and superconductivity. This new direction in quantum materials promises an exploration of quantum properties. Nonetheless, it also raises an ongoing challenge in condensed matter, directly addressed by this proposal, how to uniquely identify the topological nature of emergent states. Proposed experiments will address this challenge directly by looking at the role of spin-orbit coupling, bandwidth, contact properties, symmetry, superconducting and topological order. The proposal includes informing K-12 about 2D materials and topology via the Lynch School of Education's Science Educators for Urban Schools program; talking directly to K-12 via the Skype a Scientist program; increasing participation of women, first-generation and underrepresented minorities by partnering with BC's McNair, and the Women in Science and Technology programs.Technical description: Topological phases of matter, defined by an invariant in Hilbert space, are challenging to identify and probe. These are typically demonstrated via the bulk-boundary correspondence wherein the nontrivial topology produces new modes. For topological phases emerging in superconductors, the non-trivial nature of the boundary modes is challenging to reveal experimentally. These modes also hold the potential for future protected quantum bits in topological quantum computation. There is mounting evidence for such modes in the superconducting state of FeTeSe. This project builds on the principle investigator’s recent results suggesting a topological boundary mode in FeTeSe. To understand the relationship to the bulk order, systematic experiments will explore the device configurations and material parameters over which this occurs. In addition, the proposed experiments lend themselves to involving a diverse group of participants at the high school and undergraduate level in cutting-edge topics and techniques crucial to improving their representation in STEM.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.