EAGER: SUPER: Electrochemical Protonation to Achieve Superconducting Matter

摘要：超导体被用于电力传输、量子计算，以及制造医学成像、核聚变和粒子加速器所必需的强磁铁。目前，它们要么采用低温冷却，要么需要承受巨大的压力，这就抬高了运行成本。发现室温常压超导体是科学上的一个巨大挑战，它将使新能源技术、传感器和信息技术成为可能。在这个项目中，该团队的目标是开发新的超导体电化学控制，这将允许一个新的设计自由度。这种方法具有潜在的革命性，因为电化学约束/保留比压力约束/保留更容易工业化，并且可以很容易地小型化到微米直径的线，具有高度绝缘和稳定的固体电解质，可以动态调整掺杂剂的化学势。技术摘要：我们将建立铜酸盐和铱酸盐量子相的加工-结构-性质关系。提出的质子化和缺氧的电化学控制将使我们能够达到否则无法实现的，高温和常压超导相。此外，所提出的自主氧化物合成能够以高通量的方式同时制造和询问各种氧化物化学物质。一种太赫兹探针方法将用于快速测绘和筛选温度相关的输运性质。该团队将使用实验获得的数据来学习输入控制变量（前体化学，闪蒸加热时间曲线，动态电化学氢掺杂或氧缺乏）与超导性之间的预测映射，并进行实时设计和过程控制。该项目还将为自主设计和制造建立高通量探索，并在材料设计，计算，量子相物理和高通量实验方法的交叉领域激发广泛的兴趣和教育广泛的受众。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Nontechnical Abstract:Superconductors are used for electricity transmission, quantum computing, and for making strong magnets essential for medical imaging, nuclear fusion, and particle accelerators. Currently they are cryogenically cooled, or need to be put under tremendous pressure, which drive up the operating cost. Discovering room-temperature normal-pressure superconductors is a grand challenge in science, and would enable new energy technologies, sensors, and information technologies. In this project, the team aims to develop new electrochemical control of superconductors that would allow a new design degree of freedom. This approach is potentially transformative as electrochemical confinement/retention will be much easier to industrialize than pressure confinement/retention, and also can be easily miniaturized to micron-diameter lines, with highly insulating and stable solid electrolytes that enable the dynamic tuning of dopant chemical potentials. Technical Abstract:We will establish processing-structure-properties relationships for quantum phases of cuprates and iridates. The proposed electrochemical control of protonation and oxygen deficiency will allow us to reach otherwise unachievable, high-temperature and ambient-pressure superconducting phases. In addition, the proposed autonomous oxide synthesis is capable of simultaneously making and interrogating a wide range of oxide chemistries in a high-throughput manner. A terahertz probe method will be used for rapid mapping and screening of temperature-dependent transport properties. The team will use the experimentally acquired data to learn a predictive mapping between the input control variables (precursor chemistry, flash heating-time profiles, and dynamical electrochemical hydrogen doping or oxygen deficiency) and superconductivity, with real-time design and process control. This project will also establish high-throughput exploration for autonomous design and manufacturing, and also stimulate broad interests and educate a broad range of audiences at the intersection of materials design, computation, quantum phase physics, and high-throughput experimental methods.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.