Non-Technical Abstract: The behavior of electrons in solids can often be understood in analogy with that of free electrons, but with the electronic mass replaced by an effective mass determined by the detailed atomic and structural properties of the solid. Deviations from this simple behavior due to interactions between electrons or additional degrees of freedom of the individual electrons are at the heart of some of the most fundamentally important electronic phenomena. Examples range from superconductivity to magnetism and include material behavior of broad technological relevance. This CAREER project studies electronic materials that realize new types of unconventional behavior by combining two typically disparate phenomena: strong coupling of the spin and orbital degrees of freedom of individual electrons and low connectivity (frustrated) crystalline lattices that enhance interactions between electrons. The project experimentally explores this combination via synthesis, characterization, and analysis of such materials towards new interacting states to forge the building blocks of the next generation of electronics. The role of materials synthesis in this research dovetails with its educational efforts to improve the status of education in crystal growth in the United States. This involves both crystal growth training at the principal investigator's institution for a wide range of students and researchers and exchange activities with internationally recognized centers for crystal growth. These educational efforts also include K-12 collaborations with science enrichment activities that feature direct interaction between elementary school students and educators with the principle investigator and the research team. These efforts are designed to educate, engage, and inspire these students for future careers in science and technology.
This CAREER project studies electronic materials that combine strong spin-orbit coupling and geometrical frustration. The project develops such electronic materials tailored to realize tunable spin-orbit strength via elemental composition and geometrical frustration by using low connectivity lattices. Probing the interplay of spin-orbit and frustration is expected to elucidate the manner in which these effects act in concert; this activity aims at developing this understanding towards the ultimate goal of a new paradigm for interacting electronic states. New topological, magnetic, and electronic properties of these systems are evaluated as drivers for functionalities in the next generation of quantum electronics. The methods used are materials synthesis, electrical and magnetic characterization, and collaborative efforts using optical spectroscopy, theory, neutron scattering, and microwave techniques. The combination of materials science and physics in both the research and educational aspects of the project aims to overcome the cultural barrier that is perceived to exist between these fields in the United States. The research itself is enabled by the interplay of these two fields. The education goals are targeted activities in crystal growth education and training at the principle investigator's institution for a wide range of students and researchers and more broadly to the greater scientific community through science outreach projects with elementary school students and international exchanges. This is directly targeted at improving the research and education infrastructure for solid state physics and science in general in the United States.
