Studies of High-Tc Superconductors and Molecular Materials under Extreme Hydrostatic Pressure

尽管付出了巨大的努力，高温超导体仍然没有达到人们对它们寄予的期望。 对这些材料既没有很好的基本理解，也没有处理它们以用于许多潜在应用的能力。 类钙钛矿结构的复杂性和缺陷的重要影响阻碍了进展。 这个个人研究者奖将资助一个项目，以研究温度和压力激活的缺陷松弛过程中的散装高Tc材料及其晶界。 所获得的知识将有助于制定战略，以优化超导性能，特别是载流能力，并稳定它们的长期应用。 此外，通过在低温实验中抑制弛豫过程，Tc对压力的内在依赖性将在宽范围的晶格参数和载流子浓度上确定，从而允许有意义的理论测试，并可能指向更高的Tc值。 还计划进行分子磁体和超导体的高压实验。 这项研究将涉及与俄罗斯科学家的合作。 从事该项目的研究生和本科生将受益于国际合作，并学习技能，为未来的科学事业做好准备。%高温超导体在近15年前被发现后，还没有达到人们对它们寄予的厚望。 只有少数几个专门的应用程序已经进入市场。 这些材料的复杂结构和多种结构缺陷的存在阻碍了进展。 这些缺陷中的一些甚至可以在室温下迁移，从而降低重要的性能，例如载流量。 这项个人研究奖将资助一个项目，研究移动的缺陷的属性，并试图制定一项战略，以防止他们的迁移。 这将为进一步的应用打开大门，也允许更好地理解为什么这些材料在如此高的温度下是超导的，并可能在更高的温度下指向超导性。 这项研究将涉及与俄罗斯科学家的合作。 从事该项目的研究生和本科生将受益于国际合作，并学习技能，为未来的科学事业做好准备。

Despite enormous efforts, high-temperature superconductors have yet to fulfill the vaunted expectations placed in them. There exists neither a good basic understanding of these materials, nor the ability to process them for many potential applications. Progress has been impeded by the complexity of the perovskite-like structure and the important influence of defects. This individual investigator award will fund a project to study the temperature- and pressure-activated defect relaxation processes in both bulk high-Tc materials and their grain boundaries. The knowledge gained will help develop strategies to optimize the superconducting properties, in particular the current carrying capacity, and stabilize them for long-term applications. In addition, by suppressing the relaxation processes in a low-temperature experiment, the intrinsic dependence of Tc on pressure will be determined over a broad range of lattice parameter and carrier concentration, thus allowing a meaningful test of theory and perhaps pointing the way to higher values of Tc. High-pressure experiments on molecular magnets and superconductors are also planned. The research will involve a collaboration with a Russian scientist. Graduate and undergraduate students working on this project will benefit from the exposure to international collaborations as well as learn skills that will prepare them for future scientific careers.%%%High-temperature superconductors have yet to fulfill the vaunted expectations placed in them after their discovery nearly 15 years ago. Only a few specialized applications have reached the marketplace. Progress has been impeded by the complicated structure of these materials and the presence of many kinds of structural defects. Some of these defects can even migrate around at room temperature, thus degrading important properties, such as the current carrying capacity. This individual investigator award will fund a project to study the properties of mobile defects and try to develop a strategy to prevent their migration. This will open the door to further applications and also permit a better understanding of why these materials are superconducting at such high temperatures and perhaps point the way toward superconductivity at much higher temperatures. The research will involve a collaboration with a Russian scientist. Graduate and undergraduate students working on this project will benefit from the exposure to international collaborations as well as learn skills that will prepare them for future scientific careers.***