Infrared Spectroscopy of High-Tc Superconductors in High Magnetic Field

技术：该个人研究者奖将继续支持高tc超导体的红外磁光研究。提出的实验：1)将对掺杂Mott绝缘体中导电状态的出现提供至关重要的见解，2)将产生超导开始时高能效应的详细实验图像-这与超导状态的能量学行为直接相关，3)将提供关于高tc铜酸盐涡旋状态响应的新信息。该提案概述了具体步骤，以从所有高tc超导体的固有特性中分离出铜酸盐的特定材料特性。在一个具有挑战性的项目中，研究和教育的整合将有助于培养具有凝聚态物理、光学和材料科学专业知识的高技能人才。非技术：本提案描述了在高磁场中高tc超导体的红外磁光研究的综合方案。鉴于铜酸盐的高tc超导问题的丰富性、复杂性、对其他领域的影响以及潜在的技术重要性，当代物理学中其他尚未解决的问题很少（如果有的话）能超越它。该建议概述了在这一具有挑战性的问题上取得重大进展的新机会。该计划的成功完成是由几个因素共同促成的，包括红外磁光学仪器的最新进展，以及新出现的具有良好特征的新型高tc材料单晶的可用性，这些材料非常适合解决许多特定的长期问题。对于项目的成功同样重要的是，PI致力于招募有才华的研究生在他的小组中进行研究，包括目前在研究生教育中代表性不足的群体的学生。后一项任务将通过参与研究本科生来完成，这些本科生的很大一部分学生属于代表性不足的群体。此外，PI还将为加州大学圣地亚哥分校的高年级本科生和研究生开设一门名为“物理学伦理”的课程。本课程的目的是从一开始就激发学生对科学工作的道德观念，从而提高学生对他们的工作对社会的巨大影响的认识。

Technical:This individual investigator award will support continued infrared magneto-optical studies of high-Tc superconductors. The proposed experiments: 1) will deliver critically important insights into the emergence of the conducting state in doped Mott insulators, 2) will produce a detailed experimental picture of the high-energy effects at the onset of superconductivity - which is directly related to the behavior of the energetics of the superconducting state and 3) will provide new information on the vortex state response of high-Tc cuprates. The proposal outlines concrete steps to disentangle materials-specific properties of cuprates from the intrinsic characteristics generic to all high-Tc superconductors. The integration of research and education within a challenging program will aid the preparation of highly skilled personnel with expertise spanning condensed matter physics, optics and materials science.Non-technical:This proposal describes a comprehensive program for infrared (IR) magneto-optic studies of high-Tc superconductors in high magnetic fields. The problem of high-Tc superconductivity in cuprates is surpassed by few, if any, other unresolved problems in contemporary physics - in view of its richness, complexity, impact on other fields and potential technological importance. This proposal outlines new opportunities for making significant advances in this challenging problem. A successful completion of the proposed program is enabled by a confluence of several factors including recent progress in the development of instrumentation for IR magneto-optics and newly emerging availability of well characterized single crystals of novel high-Tc materials which are ideally suited to address a number of specific long standing issues. Equally important for the success of the program is dedicated effort of the PI to recruit talented graduate students for research in his group, including students belonging to groups currently underrepresented in graduate education. The latter task will be accomplished by engaging in research undergraduates from institutions with a large fraction of students belonging to underrepresented groups. Furthermore, the PI will develop a course on "Ethics in physics" that will be offered to upper division undergrads and graduate students at UCSD. The purpose of this course is to inspire, from the very beginning, an ethical vision of scientific work thus raising students' awareness of the tremendous impact their work can have in society.