The application of hydrostatic pressure is a very important experimental tool in the study of materials displaying complex electronic and magnetic behavior, because pressure can alter the strength of the electronic interactions in solids "cleanly", i.e., without the introduction of extrinsic phenomena. Single-crystals of phosphide, antimonide, and germanide ternary intermetallic compounds, also containing rare-earth or actinide elements, will be grown using a flux-growth technique, and studies of electrical, thermal, and magnetic properties in these materials will be carried out in the temperature range from 0.4 to 400 K, in magnetic fields up to 18 T, and pressures up to 25 kbar. The rich and complex behaviors probed by these experiments include superconductivity, long-range magnetic order, Kondo interactions, charge-density-wave, and the very large thermoelectric power observed sometimes. Hydrostatic pressure experiments can provide very useful information for elucidating the underlying physics of these various ground states, and new behaviors may emerge. This project will create many hands-on research, educational, and mentoring opportunities for the students of an undergraduate institution, as well opportunities for outreach visits to local high schools.
The application of hydrostatic pressure is a very important experimental tool in the study of materials displaying complex electronic and magnetic behavior, because pressure can bring the atoms in a solid slightly closer together, therefore affecting the strength of their interaction with each other, and the surrounding electronic charge. High-quality crystals of materials containing lanthanide or actinide elements, as well as phosphorus, antimony, or germanium will be synthesized, and experimental studies will be carried out to determine their magnetic behavior, their ability to conduct electricity, as well as their ability to retain and conduct heat. These experiments will be carried out in extreme conditions of temperature (from about -459 to 260 F), magnetic field (up to 500 thousand times higher than the earth magnetic field), and pressure (up to 25 thousand times atmospheric pressure). The rich and complex behaviors probed by these experiments include superconductivity, magnetic order, periodic clustering of electrons, and the very large thermoelectric power observed sometimes. Hydrostatic pressure experiments provide some very important clues, and they are very helpful for elucidating the underlying physical principles at play in these novel and exciting materials, and they can also reveal new behaviors. This project will create many hands-on research, educational, and mentoring opportunities for the students of an undergraduate institution, as well opportunities for outreach visits to local high schools.
