RUI: Investigation of Strongly Correlated Electron Behavior in Rare Earth Related Materials

RUI：稀土相关材料中强相关电子行为的研究

• 批准号: 1506677
• 负责人: Pei-Chun Ho
• 金额: $ 30.72万
• 依托单位: California State University-Fresno Foundation
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2015-09-01 至 2019-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1506677&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RUI; Investigation; Strongly; Correlated; Electron

Non-Technical Abstract:This project supports materials science research of rare-earth related materials at an undergraduate institution. The primary focus is on the synthesis and characterization of superconducting materials and magnetic nanoparticles, with the goal of understanding their underlying mechanisms. Many versatile technical applications result utilization of the rare-earth compounds under study such as energy conservation and energy storage by applying superconducting materials and digital information storage and medical imaging by utilizing the magnetic nanomaterials. The research in the principal investigator's laboratory allows direct participation of undergraduate and master-degree-program students in the experimental condensed matter physics, giving them hands-on experience at the early stage of their academic life. The research experience and practical placement provided by this project encourage students to pursue higher education and careers in the fields of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math).Technical Abstract:This project supports experimental research in the strongly correlated electron phenomena in rare-earth related materials. These phenomena arise from a subtle interplay between competing interactions, either electronic or magnetic. They can be controlled through tuning the experimental parameters such as temperature, magnetic field, chemical composition, and reduced dimensionality. The rare-earth materials under study can be used as model systems to probe the localized and itinerant nature of the electron states and test the existing theories for strongly correlated electron physics. These can be achieved through the synthesis of high-quality specimens and the establishment of transport and thermodynamic properties. In the rare-earth filled skutterudite systems Pr1-xNdxOs4Sb12, the principal investigator is aiming to understand the unconventional nature of the superconductivity in PrOs4Sb12 by the effect of neodymium substitution. Furthermore, via the investigation of the electronic structures of related compounds CeOs4Sb12, NdOs4Sb12, and SmOs4Sb12, it can give insight on the quantum critical behavior in the Pr1-xNdxOs4Sb12 system and the role of the quadruple moment fluctuation. The study of nanoparticles of gadolinium and neodymium can enhance the knowledge on the effect of reduced size on magnetic ordering, domain wall movement, and surface electron states.

非技术摘要：该项目支持本科院校稀土相关材料的材料科学研究。 主要重点是超导材料和磁性纳米粒子的合成和表征，目的是了解其潜在机制。 许多多功能的技术应用都涉及到正在研究的稀土化合物的利用，例如应用超导材料的节能和能量存储以及利用磁性纳米材料的数字信息存储和医学成像。 首席研究员实验室的研究允许本科生和硕士学位课程的学生直接参与实验凝聚态物理，为他们在学术生涯的早期阶段提供实践经验。 该项目提供的研究经验和实践实习鼓励学生在 STEM（科学、技术、工程和数学）领域追求高等教育和职业。技术摘要：该项目支持稀有电子现象的实验研究- 地球相关材料。 这些现象源于电子或磁力竞争相互作用之间的微妙相互作用。 它们可以通过调整温度、磁场、化学成分和降维等实验参数来控制。 所研究的稀土材料可以作为模型系统来探测电子态的局域性和流动性，并测试现有的强相关电子物理理论。 这些可以通过合成高质量样本以及建立输运和热力学特性来实现。 在稀土填充方钴矿体系 Pr1-xNdxOs4Sb12 中，主要研究人员旨在通过钕替代效应了解 PrOs4Sb12 中超导性的非常规性质。 此外，通过研究相关化合物CeOs4Sb12、NdOs4Sb12和SmOs4Sb12的电子结构，可以深入了解Pr1-xNdxOs4Sb12体系中的量子临界行为以及四矩涨落的作用。 对钆和钕纳米颗粒的研究可以增强人们对减小尺寸对磁有序、磁畴壁运动和表面电子态的影响的认识。