Studying Quantum Materials and Devices at Low Temperatures

该提案要求资金支持一个由研究生和本科生组成的研究团队，研究几个具有挑战性的测量方法。我的理念是确定可以通过改进和创新的测量技术来回答的开放性问题。例如，通过设置超低温比热测量，我们已经确定了以前未检测到的磁性材料中的相变。另一个例子是开发一种新的光子探测器，它可以复用到大量的像素阵列，并且可以优化到大范围的能量（从亚毫米到x射线）。这些探测器（动感探测器）目前正在为最先进的望远镜相机开发，但可以适应其他应用，如用于医学研究的x射线探测器。我的小组研究超导量子干涉装置（squid）。这些都是最敏感的磁场传感器，通过这种传感器，我们可以定制测量方法来检测新材料的细微磁性。我们正在研究一个迷人而复杂的磁性材料系统的磁性，它可以成为新型磁性态（量子自旋液体）的候选者。在所有这些项目中，我们都与专家合作，要么是专门研究磁性材料的理论家，晶体种植者和中子散射体，他们有互补的测量和兴趣，要么是具有不同和互补背景的天体物理学家。

This proposal requests funds to support a research team of graduate students and undergraduates to work on several of challenging measurements.  My philosophy is to identify open questions that can be answered with improved and innovative measurement techniques.  For example by setting up ultra low temperature specific heat measurements we have identified previously undetected phase transitions in frustrated magnetic materials.  Another example is developing a new photon detector that can be multiplexed to large number of pixel arrays and can be optimized for a large range of energy (from sub-mm to x-ray). These detectors (Kinetic inductance detectors) are now being developed for state-of-the-art telescope cameras but can be adapted to other applications such as x-ray detectors for medical research.  My group works on superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDS). These are the most sensitive magnetic field sensors, with this we customize measurements to detect subtle magnetic properties of novel materials. We are studying the magnetic properties of a fascinating and complex systems of frustrated magnetic materials that can be candidates for new classes of magnetic state (quantum spin liquids). In all these projects we collaborate with experts, either theorists that specialize in magnetic materials, crystal growers and neutron scatterers that have complimentary measurements and interests, or astrophysicists that have a different and complimentary background.