Hydrostatic Pressure Studies of Intermetallic Phosphide, Antimonide, and Germanide Compounds

技术：静水压力的应用是研究具有复杂电子和磁性行为的材料的一个非常重要的实验工具，因为压力可以“干净地”改变固体中电子相互作用的强度，即不引入外部现象。磷化物、锑化物和锗化物三元金属间化合物的单晶，也含有稀土或锕系元素，将使用通量生长技术生长，并在0.4至400 K的温度范围内，在高达18 T的磁场和高达25千巴的压力下，对这些材料的电学、热学和磁性进行研究。这些实验探索了丰富而复杂的行为，包括超导性、远程磁序、近藤相互作用、电荷密度波，以及有时观察到的非常大的热电功率。静水压力实验可以为阐明这些不同基态的基础物理提供非常有用的信息，并可能出现新的行为。该项目将为本科院校的学生创造许多动手研究、教育和指导的机会，并为当地高中提供拓展访问的机会。非技术：静水压力的应用是研究具有复杂电子和磁性行为的材料的一个非常重要的实验工具，因为压力可以使固体中的原子稍微靠近，从而影响它们彼此相互作用的强度，以及周围的电子电荷。将合成含有镧系或锕系元素以及磷、锑、锗的材料的高质量晶体，并进行实验研究，以确定其磁性、导电性、蓄热性和导热性。这些实验将在极端的温度条件下进行（从大约-459到260华氏度），磁场（比地球磁场高50万倍）和压力（高达大气压力的2.5万倍）。这些实验探测到的丰富而复杂的行为包括超导性、磁有序、电子的周期性聚类以及有时观察到的非常大的热电功率。静水压力实验提供了一些非常重要的线索，它们非常有助于阐明在这些新颖而令人兴奋的材料中起作用的潜在物理原理，并且它们还可以揭示新的行为。该项目将为本科院校的学生创造许多动手研究、教育和指导的机会，并为当地高中提供拓展访问的机会。

Technical:The application of hydrostatic pressure is a very important experimental tool in the study of materials displaying complex electronic and magnetic behavior, because pressure can alter the strength of the electronic interactions in solids "cleanly", i.e., without the introduction of extrinsic phenomena. Single-crystals of phosphide, antimonide, and germanide ternary intermetallic compounds, also containing rare-earth or actinide elements, will be grown using a flux-growth technique, and studies of electrical, thermal, and magnetic properties in these materials will be carried out in the temperature range from 0.4 to 400 K, in magnetic fields up to 18 T, and pressures up to 25 kbar. The rich and complex behaviors probed by these experiments include superconductivity, long-range magnetic order, Kondo interactions, charge-density-wave, and the very large thermoelectric power observed sometimes. Hydrostatic pressure experiments can provide very useful information for elucidating the underlying physics of these various ground states, and new behaviors may emerge. This project will create many hands-on research, educational, and mentoring opportunities for the students of an undergraduate institution, as well opportunities for outreach visits to local high schools. Non-technical:The application of hydrostatic pressure is a very important experimental tool in the study of materials displaying complex electronic and magnetic behavior, because pressure can bring the atoms in a solid slightly closer together, therefore affecting the strength of their interaction with each other, and the surrounding electronic charge. High-quality crystals of materials containing lanthanide or actinide elements, as well as phosphorus, antimony, or germanium will be synthesized, and experimental studies will be carried out to determine their magnetic behavior, their ability to conduct electricity, as well as their ability to retain and conduct heat. These experiments will be carried out in extreme conditions of temperature (from about -459 to 260 F), magnetic field (up to 500 thousand times higher than the earth magnetic field), and pressure (up to 25 thousand times atmospheric pressure). The rich and complex behaviors probed by these experiments include superconductivity, magnetic order, periodic clustering of electrons, and the very large thermoelectric power observed sometimes. Hydrostatic pressure experiments provide some very important clues, and they are very helpful for elucidating the underlying physical principles at play in these novel and exciting materials, and they can also reveal new behaviors. This project will create many hands-on research, educational, and mentoring opportunities for the students of an undergraduate institution, as well opportunities for outreach visits to local high schools.