94-53362 Broholm This Presidential Faculty Fellow award will support a project involving neutron diffraction investigations of quantum phenomena in condensed matter systems. The project has a strong educational component which involves both undergraduate and graduate students in the research. The research addresses structural and magnetic order in so-called quantum disordered solids that only exhibit a magnetic phase transition in the limit of zero temperature. The systems include one-dimensional linear chains, two-dimensional antiferromagnetic sheets, heavy-Fermion metals and transition- metal oxides. The research is of considerable fundamental interest, but has potential technological importance since it may shed light on related fields such as high temperature superconductivity. This Presidential Faculty Fellow award will support a project to study magnetism and electrical properties of materials which exhibit quantum effects. The project has a strong educational component which involves both undergraduate and graduate students in the research. The research seeks to study phase transitions that only emerge as the materials reach "absolute zero". This can be contrasted with non-quantum materials such as ice that undergoes an ordinary phase transition, melting a 32 F. The systems include linear chains or two-dimensional arrays of magnetic atoms, complex metal alloys and transition-metal oxides. The research is of considerable fundamental interest, but has potential technological importance since it may shed light on related fields such as high temperature superconductivity.
