Strongly Correlated Electron Phenomena in Rare Earth and Actinide Intermetallics

* 技术摘要 * 该奖项支持对新型稀土和锕系（f-电子）金属间化合物中强相关电子现象的实验研究。这些现象，包括，例如，重费米子行为，量子临界性，非费米液体行为，近藤绝缘体行为，非常规超导性，以及磁序和四极序的奇异形式，构成了对当前凝聚态物理学范式的巨大挑战。强关联f电子材料的基态可以通过改变外部控制参数（如化学成分x、压力P和磁场H）来“调谐”，从而产生丰富而复杂的温度T与x、P和H的相图。 该研究计划的目标是表征这些材料中发现的非凡电子相，确定它们形成的条件，确定潜在的微观机制，并测试相关理论。 该项目将为一名博士后学者和一名研究生的教育提供支持，他们将获得实验室现有的广泛技术技能方面的专业知识，包括操作最先进的低温物理特性测量设备。 强相关电子现象的研究有助于培养下一代凝聚态和材料物理学家，他们将在其职业生涯中为政府，工业和/或学术领域做出贡献。* 非技术摘要 * 该奖项支持对新型稀土和锕系（f-电子）金属间化合物中强相关电子现象的实验研究。 强关联的电子现象包括高温超导、磁性和其他奇异的量子相，它们对目前对固体物质的理解提出了巨大的挑战。 通过提高相关电子现象的基本理解，从这个实验研究计划中获得的结果有可能影响与应用相关的重要问题。 例如，高温超导性有无数的应用，包括低损耗电力线、发电机和电动机、敏感的磁场传感器、磁共振成像和磁悬浮列车。该项目将为一名博士后学者和一名研究生的教育提供支持，他们将在实验室获得广泛的技术技能。 强相关电子现象的研究有助于培养下一代凝聚态和材料物理学家，他们将在其职业生涯中为政府，工业和/或学术领域做出贡献。

****Technical Abstract****This award supports experimental research on strongly correlated electron phenomena in novel rare earth and actinide (f-electron) intermetallic compounds. These phenomena, which include, for example, heavy fermion behavior, quantum criticality, non-Fermi liquid behavior, Kondo insulator behavior, unconventional superconductivity, and exotic forms of magnetic order and quadrupolar order, constitute a formidable challenge to current paradigms of condensed matter physics. The ground states of strongly correlated f-electron materials can be "tuned" by varying an external control parameter such as chemical composition x, pressure P, and magnetic field H, resulting in rich and complex temperature T vs. x, P, and H phase diagrams. The objectives of this research program are to characterize the extraordinary electronic phases found in these materials, determine the conditions under which they are formed, identify underlying microscopic mechanisms, and test relevant theories. This project will provide support for the education of a postdoctoral scholar and a graduate student who will gain expertise in a broad range of technical skills available in the laboratory, including the operation of state-of-the-art equipment for physical properties measurements at low temperatures. The study of strongly correlated electron phenomena serves to train the next generation of condensed matter and materials physicists who will contribute to the government, industrial, and/or academic domains in their careers. ****Non-Technical Abstract****This award supports experimental research on strongly correlated electron phenomena in novel rare earth and actinide (f-electron) intermetallic compounds. Strongly correlated electron phenomena include, for example, high temperature superconductivity, magnetism, and other exotic quantum phases that present a formidable challenge to the current understanding of solid matter. By improving the basic understanding of correlated electron phenomena, the results obtained from this experimental research program have the potential to impact important problems relevant to applications. For example, there is a myriad of applications of high temperature superconductivity, including low-loss electrical power lines, electrical generators and motors, sensitive magnetic field sensors, magnetic resonance imaging, and magnetically levitated trains. This project will provide support for the education of a postdoctoral scholar and a graduate student who will gain expertise in a broad range of technical skills available in the laboratory. The study of strongly correlated electron phenomena serves to train the next generation of condensed matter and materials physicists who will contribute to the government, industrial, and/or academic domains in their careers.