Exploring New Graphitic Superconductors: Charge Transfer, Excitations and Dimensionality

This proposal is driven by our recent discovery of superconductivity in C6Ca and C6Yb. The pairing mechanism in these materials is yet to be established, and thus understanding the excitation spectrum will be of central importance and requiring a variety of techniques. The relationship of the electronic properties and structure is crucial for the elucidation of elevated transition temperatures and the onset of valence instabilities. Therefore a significant part of our studies will focus on the crystal and electronic structure and how these tune with parameters such as pressure and dimensionality. Furthermore, working with intercalated materials has made us aware of the potential of novel graphitic superconducting nano-structures and devices. We propose to explore two such engineered structures.