9510427 Brooks The proposed activity is the investigation of the role of electronic anisotropy in molecular crystalline materials. This anisotropy influences metallic, superconducting, magnetic, and insulating states in these materials. The main objectives of the proposed work are: to compare experimentally and computationally the effects of electronic anisotropy; to manipulate the degree of anisotropy by physical means to produce new electronic states; to understand more clearly how superconductivity arises in low-dimensional systems; to explore quantum limit effects in anisotropic materials; to extend traditional Fermi surface studies into new regimes of pulsed magnetic fields above 30 T; and to consider speculative new methods of physical measurement in intense magnetic fields and very high pressures in these materials. %%% The area of molecular crystals is an emerging one in the science and technology of electronic (electrically conducting) materials. They link the realms of semiconductors, metals, and biological structures. Unlike traditional solids such as silicon or copper which are composed of atoms arranged in simple three-dimensional ordered arrays, with little or no distinction between directions, molecular crystals are composed of large (usually organic) molecules arranged in either chains or layers. Hence, the electronic properties of molecular crystals can be very different (anisotropic) in the three directions within the solid. This anisotropy affects their superconducting, magnetic, and semiconducting properties. The purpose of the proposed research is to investigate experimentally and computationally the role of anisotropy in crystalline molecular solids, including the use of electronic, magnetic, pressure, and optical probes to measure and manipulate their physical properties.. An understanding of the mechanisms by which anisotropy influences these properties wi ll lead to the design and synthesis of new materials in this class having particularly desirable physical properties. ***
