Low Dimensional Transition Metal Oxyanion Mulitferroics

该项目由美国国家科学基金会材料研究部的固态和材料化学项目支持，将允许克莱姆森大学的研究人员专注于合成具有不同寻常的光学和磁性质的新材料。特别强调的是在高温高压水中（所谓的高温水热法）的高质量单晶的生长，这种方法可以准确地表征复杂的物理性质，如磁性结构。目标材料可以显示非线性光学或受挫磁行为，这可以导致新的量子材料，并使人们能够更详细地了解量子计算和量子通信中使用的化合物。该项目特别关注下一代研究人员的发展，支持研究生、本科生和博士后。它还将专门为新的研究人员提供单晶定向生长方面的培训，这是美国目前相当需要的一个领域。另一项重要活动是与橡树岭国家实验室最先进的中子和磁性研究设施进行重要的学生合作。这些与先进的国家实验室的互动为下一代研究人员提供了宝贵的学习经验。作为该项目的一部分，由美国国家科学基金会材料研究部固态和材料化学项目支持，克莱姆森大学的研究人员将专注于具有有趣磁性和非线性特性的新材料的合成和表征。使用高温水热法可以有效地生长出具有最小晶格缺陷和可忽略不计的位置无序的高质量单晶，这将使物理性质的准确测定成为可能。一个具体的目标是更好地理解具有耦合物理性质的系统，如多铁性和磁电性。重点将放在具有潜在磁挫折的材料上，特别是那些具有低维（一维或二维）结构的材料，从而产生不同的磁矢量的链内和链间耦合。这样的耦合可以产生立电偶极子和垂直的磁矢量，从而产生磁电。该项目将尝试概括导致这种多铁行为的因素，并设计和合成显示更复杂耦合的新系统。该计划的一个重要因素是与中子散射设施橡树岭国家实验室的合作。最初的重点将放在弹性中子散射测量上，以确定静态磁结构，然后是更复杂的非弹性测量，以确定耦合值。生长大型单晶的能力对于理解外加磁场下磁性结构的行为尤为重要。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。

Non-Technical SummaryThis project, supported by the Solid State and Materials Chemistry Program in NSF’s Division of Materials Research, will allow researchers at Clemson University to focus on the synthesis of new materials displaying unusual optical and magnetic properties. Particular emphasis is placed on the growth of high-quality single crystals in high temperature, high pressure water (the so-called high temperature hydrothermal method) that enables accurate characterization of complex physical properties such as magnetic structures. The target materials can display nonlinear optical or frustrated magnetic behavior which can lead to new quantum materials and enable a more detailed understanding of the compounds used in quantum computing and quantum communication. The project pays particular attention to the development of the next generation of researchers, supporting graduate students, undergraduates and postdoctoral fellows. It will also specifically educate new researchers on the targeted growth of single crystals, an area of considerable current need in the United States. Another important activity involves significant student collaboration with the state-of-the-art neutron and magnetic research facilities at Oak Ridge National Lab. These interactions with an advanced national laboratory provide invaluable learning experiences for the next generation of researchers.Technical SummaryAs part of this project, supported by the Solid State and Materials Chemistry Program in NSF’s Division of Materials Research, researchers at Clemson University will focus on the synthesis and characterization of new materials with interesting magnetic and nonlinear properties. The use of a high temperature hydrothermal method leads to the efficient growth of high quality single crystals with minimal lattice defects and negligible site disorder, which will enable accurate determination of physical properties. One specific goal is to gain a greater understanding of systems with coupled physical properties, such as multiferroics and magnetoelectrics. Emphasis will be on materials with potential magnetic frustration, especially those with low dimensional (1-D or 2-D) structures, so as to generate different intra- and interchain coupling of magnetic vectors. Such couplings can induce standing electric dipoles and perpendicular magnetic vectors leading to magnetoelectrics. This project will attempt to generalize the factors that cause such multiferroic behavior and design and synthesize new systems displaying more complex coupling. One important factor in the program is the collaboration with the neutron scattering facilities Oak Ridge National Lab. The initial focus will be on the elastic neutron scattering measurements to determine the static magnetic structures, followed by more complex inelastic measurements to determine coupling values. The ability to grow large single crystals is particularly important to understand the behavior of the magnetic structures in externally applied magnetic fields.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.