Innovative experiments on quantum materials

量子材料的创新实验

• 批准号: RGPIN-2022-04094
• 负责人: Reulet, Bertrand
• 金额: $ 3.64万
• 依托单位: Université de Sherbrooke
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=763433
• 关键词: Innovative; experiments; quantum; materials

Quantum materials are at the heart of a very intense research effort worldwide. The reason for this is twofold: on the application side, there is a huge demand for materials with properties such as superconductivity (the possibility to carry current without energy dissipation), particular optical properties (the possibility to absorb certain wavelengths while reflecting others), etc. On the fundamental side, these materials resist concepts and methods developed in the last century to successfully explain the properties of most materials. Understanding the mechanisms responsible for their peculiar properties is a challenge for condensed matter physics: while we know the basic ingredients that correctly describe matter in quantum mechanics, the complexity of their interactions leads to emergent properties that are still difficult to understand. The understanding of these materials is also key to develop devices based on their remarkable properties. Science progresses by confronting theoretical predictions with experimental results. While there is plethora of routinely used experimental techniques, we propose to develop new experiments to probe some of the intriguing properties of quantum materials, thus providing new evidences to progress in their understanding. These experiments, derived from similar experiments we have developed to probe the quantum nature of electricity in circuits, will shed light on the mysterious properties of quantum materials. In a series of original experiments, we will: - Study how topological properties of materials modify their electromagnetic response (longitudinal and transverse) to an incident microwave, possibly at ultra-low temperature and in the presence of a magnetic field. This is critical to the development of electronic devices. - Probe the temperature-dependent scattering time of electrons by measuring the frequency-dependent microwave response of materials showing a universal behavior - the linear dependence of resistivity on temperature. This is essential to validate theories of highly correlated materials. - Measure the way electrons screen an electrostatic field, this giving access to their electronic compressibility. This parameter is key to the understanding of mysterious phases of matter such as the pseudogap one in cuprates. - Observe quantum oscillations at ultra-high field using a time-resolved ac transport measurement in a microsecond pulsed magnetic field. This will help elucidate the mechanism of superconductivity in high Tc superconductors.

量子材料是全球研究工作的核心。其原因有两个：在应用方面，对具有超导性（能够承载电流而不耗能）、特殊光学特性（吸收某些波长而反射其他波长的可能性）等特性的材料有着巨大的需求。从根本上来说，这些材料抵制上个世纪发展起来的成功解释大多数材料特性的概念和方法。了解其特殊性质的机制是凝聚态物理学的一个挑战：虽然我们知道量子力学中正确描述物质的基本成分，但它们相互作用的复杂性导致了仍然难以理解的涌现性质。对这些材料的理解也是开发基于其卓越特性的设备的关键。 科学的进步是通过理论预测与实验结果的对比来实现的。虽然有大量常规使用的实验技术，但我们建议开发新的实验来探索量子材料的一些有趣的特性，从而为理解量子材料的进展提供新的证据。这些实验源自我们为探索电路中电的量子本质而开发的类似实验，将揭示量子材料的神秘特性。在一系列原创实验中，我们将： - 研究材料的拓扑特性如何改变其对入射微波的电磁响应（纵向和横向），可能是在超低温和存在磁场的情况下。这对于电子设备的发展至关重要。 - 通过测量显示出普遍行为的材料的频率相关微波响应（电阻率对温度的线性依赖性）来探测电子的温度相关散射时间。这对于验证高度相关材料的理论至关重要。 - 测量电子屏蔽静电场的方式，从而了解其电子压缩性。该参数是理解物质神秘相（例如铜酸盐中的赝能隙相）的关键。 - 使用微秒脉冲磁场中的时间分辨交流输运测量来观察超高场中的量子振荡。这将有助于阐明高温超导体的超导机制。