Non-technical abstract: Unconventional superconductivity is a fascinating state of quantum matter. Its absolute zero resistivity promises the future of clean energy transmission and magnetically-levitated transportation without friction. Superconductivity has been challenging the scientific community for three decades. Unlike in simple metals, where electrons move freely, in unconventional superconductors they are mostly confined in two dimensional planes. This restriction, together with their mutual stronger interaction, create a "traffic jam" of electrons. Externally, altering the number of the electrons leads to various novel states of matter, such as superconductivity and exotic electronic patterns. It remains unclear whether these different electronic states coexist or compete. Using a scanning tunneling microscope, an experimental technique that locally visualizes the electrons, and resonant x-ray scattering, an experimental probe of global electronic states, the research team aims to investigate how these electronic states emerge in various correlated material systems. An important question to be answered is how external tuning can locally destroy one ordered state and enhance another. The project is designed to advance our fundamental understanding of superconductivity and provide means for enhancing their transition temperatures. Educational goals result from this research through outreach activities utilizing the principle investigator's research tools that will amaze and inspire K-12 students with live-demonstrations and hands-on experimentations as well as provide explicit education and training of undergraduate and graduate students.
Identifying broken symmetry states near quantum phase transitions remains a key objective of strongly correlated electron systems. A challenging goal is the microscopic understanding of emergent superconductivity. Central to this challenge is the local coexistence of various electronic states, such as nematic, charge, and orbital ordering that preempt, promote, or are intertwined with superconductivity. Probing and visualizing the microscopic origin of these ordered states and deliberately tuning them is the key objective towards understanding and controlling superconductivity. The research program aims to visualize and tune broken symmetry states in d- and f-correlated electron systems near quantum phase transitions. The research team uses a new approach that enables to uniaxially strain these material systems and visualize their response in the electronic density of states through spectroscopic imaging with the scanning tunneling microscope and resonant x-ray scattering. The research program's goal is to discover and understand novel phases of matter in correlated material systems that may promote, enhance, or twist superconductivity. Natural broader impacts result from this research through outreach activities that aim to amaze and inspire K-12 students. Some of these activities involve live demonstrations and hands-on experimentations, such as cryogenic cooling, superconducting levitation and transportation to be performed at the Greater Binghamton Soccer Dome, the Kopernik Observatory & Science Center, and local elementary schools. A graduate level course on experimental techniques in condensed matter is developed by the principle investigator that provides explicit education and training for undergraduate and graduate students.
