Studying Quantum Materials and Devices at Low Temperatures

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This proposal requests funds to support a research team of graduate students and undergraduates to work on several of challenging measurements.  My philosophy is to identify open questions that can be answered with improved and innovative measurement techniques.  For example by setting up ultra low temperature specific heat measurements we have identified previously undetected phase transitions in frustrated magnetic materials.  Another example is developing a new photon detector that can be multiplexed to large number of pixel arrays and can be optimized for a large range of energy (from sub-mm to x-ray). These detectors (Kinetic inductance detectors) are now being developed for state-of-the-art telescope cameras but can be adapted to other applications such as x-ray detectors for medical research.  My group works on superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDS). These are the most sensitive magnetic field sensors, with this we customize measurements to detect subtle magnetic properties of novel materials. We are studying the magnetic properties of a fascinating and complex systems of frustrated magnetic materials that can be candidates for new classes of magnetic state (quantum spin liquids). In all these projects we collaborate with experts, either theorists that specialize in magnetic materials, crystal growers and neutron scatterers that have complimentary measurements and interests, or astrophysicists that have a different and complimentary background.