CAREER: Collective transport near quantum critical points in superconducting nanostructures

技术摘要：该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。该学院早期职业奖资助了一项提案，该提案旨在对我们目前对超导纳米结构中量子相变（QPT）物理学的理解产生重大影响。具有精确设计的结构和传输特性的纳米级氧化铟器件将用于探测超导体-绝缘体QPT之间的无序和相互作用之间的微妙相互作用。这些实验将提供明确的信息，微观导电机制时，过渡是通过无序，密度或磁场在一维和二维设备调谐。这些结果将改善我们目前对量子临界点附近的相位相干性和新集体相位出现的理解。研究与该提案的教育部分紧密结合：将开发一个探索电子量子性质的本科实验室实验，并将向包括布法罗地区高中科学教师在内的更广泛的群体提供实践研究机会。该教育计划还寻求通过各种现代教学方法改善学生在本科物理入门课程中的学习体验。该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。该学院早期职业奖的目标是有效地将联合收割机实验研究与教育和推广计划相结合，以探索超导纳米结构临界点附近的量子相，以培养新一代的本科生和研究生以及高中教师。该研究提案将寻求对所用材料（氧化铟）的微观结构和性质进行前所未有的控制，本文提出的纳米器件中的传输测量有望改变我们目前对一维和二维系统中量子相的理解。综合教育方面将涉及几个项目密切相关的研究活动在PI？s组。在大学本科生或布法罗地区K-12物理教师的帮助下，将开发一个新的本科实验室实验，用于学习电子量子性质的基本概念。将在非专业的物理入门课程中实施现代教学方法，从而改善更广泛的学生群体的学习体验和科学意识。研究和教育活动的成果将通过参加当地艺术节和纽约州？的STEP程序。

Technical Abstract:This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). This Faculty Early Career Award funds a proposal that seeks to make significant impact on our current understanding of the physics of quantum phase transitions (QPT) in superconducting nanostructures. Nanometer scale indium oxide devices with precisely engineered structural and transport characteristics will be utilized to probe the subtle interplay between disorder and interaction across the superconductor-insulator QPT. These experiments will provide explicit information about the microscopic conduction mechanisms when the transition is tuned via disorder, density or magnetic field in one and two-dimensional devices. The results will improve our current understanding of the phase coherence and emergence of novel collective phases near quantum critical points. Research is closely integrated with the education component of the proposal: an undergraduate laboratory experiment to explore quantum nature of electrons will be developed and hands-on research opportunities will be provided to a broader group including high school science teachers in the Buffalo region. The education plan also seeks to improve the learning experience of students in undergraduate introductory physics courses through a variety of modern teaching methods. Non-technical Abstract:This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The goal of this Faculty Early Career Award is to effectively combine experimental research to explore quantum phases near critical points in superconducting nanostructures with education and outreach programs to train a new generation of undergraduate and graduate students and high school teachers. The research proposal will seek an unprecedented control in engineering the microstructure and property of the material used (indium oxide) and the transport measurements in nanodevices proposed herein are expected to transform our current understanding of quantum phases in one and two-dimensional systems. The integrated educational aspects will involve several projects closely related to the research activities in the PI?s group. A new undergraduate laboratory experiment for learning the basic concept of quantum nature of electrons will be developed with the help of undergraduate students at the university or K-12 physics teachers in the Buffalo region. Modern teaching methods will be implemented in introductory physics courses for non-majors, thereby improving the learning experience and scientific awareness among a wider student body. The results of the research and educational activities will be disseminated to the general public through participation in local art festivals and New York State?s STEP program.