"Thermodynamic and Transport Measurements of Correlated Electron Systems at Ultra-low Temperatures"
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Cambridge
Department Name: Physics
Abstract
The project initially involves designing, constructing and testing a multifunctional and modular platform for measurements of heat capacity, thermopower and thermal transport at temperatures below 1K. Once completed, these extended experimental capabilities will be used to investigate a number of topical systems in the field of correlated electron systems, primarily in Kondo insulating systems. A prime objective will be to search for evidence for unconventional ground states in the bulk of these systems in the presence of topological insulating behavior.
Organisations
- University of Cambridge (Lead Research Organisation)
- UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD (Collaboration)
- University of Waterloo (Collaboration)
- University of St Andrews (Collaboration)
- University of Central Lancashire (Collaboration)
- Radboud University Nijmegen (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL (Collaboration)
People |
ORCID iD |
| Friedrich Grosche (Primary Supervisor) | |
| Keiron Murphy (Student) |
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP/N509620/1 | 01/10/2016 | 30/09/2022 | |||
| 1805375 | Studentship | EP/N509620/1 | 01/10/2016 | 05/01/2020 | Keiron Murphy |
| Description | A new heat capacity probe for our labs' dilution refrigerator has been developed and is currently being put into use in order to measure thermodynamic properties of strongly correlated materials at low temperatures below 100 mK. A thermal hall measurement probe has also been developed and is in the mid stages of development but the findings so far have been promising and have resulted in a publication in the journal Review of Scientific Instruments. Both of these new measurement capabilities meet the objectives of the award and allow us to probe strongly correlated materials using techniques that were previously unavailable. I have also performed some materials discovery research and have grown crystals of new quantum materials that have now been extensively measured. These measurements have formed a large part of my PhD thesis and one of the materials has recently resulted in a paper in the journal Nature Communications. |
| Exploitation Route | The new measurements techniques that have been developed will be available to our lab and our collaborators for measurements on candidate material systems. |
| Sectors | Electronics,Energy,Environment |
| Description | NbXSb Project |
| Organisation | Radboud University Nijmegen |
| Department | High Field Magnet Laboratory (HFML) |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The project involves materials discovery and characterisation. I have grown new semimetal compounds using CVD and have been screening the samples by performing physical properties measurements (such as thermodynamic and transport measurements using PPMS) as well as samples characterisation using various powder and Laue XRD measurements. I have also performed band structure calculations using the Wien2k package. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Liverpool - Initial samples grown by KM in 2016 (before moving the Cambridge). Some PPMS measurements. Band structure calculations. UCLAN - single crystal XRD St. Andrews - APRES measurements (including some time at international facilities) HFML - High field magnetic experiments Oxford - Torque magnetometry measurements |
| Impact | A publication in Nature Communications has resulted from ARPES measurements in one sample, further measurements at the HFML in Nijmegen are being drafted into two additional publications. Other systems are showing interesting results and require further investigation. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | NbXSb Project |
| Organisation | University of Central Lancashire |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The project involves materials discovery and characterisation. I have grown new semimetal compounds using CVD and have been screening the samples by performing physical properties measurements (such as thermodynamic and transport measurements using PPMS) as well as samples characterisation using various powder and Laue XRD measurements. I have also performed band structure calculations using the Wien2k package. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Liverpool - Initial samples grown by KM in 2016 (before moving the Cambridge). Some PPMS measurements. Band structure calculations. UCLAN - single crystal XRD St. Andrews - APRES measurements (including some time at international facilities) HFML - High field magnetic experiments Oxford - Torque magnetometry measurements |
| Impact | A publication in Nature Communications has resulted from ARPES measurements in one sample, further measurements at the HFML in Nijmegen are being drafted into two additional publications. Other systems are showing interesting results and require further investigation. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | NbXSb Project |
| Organisation | University of Liverpool |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The project involves materials discovery and characterisation. I have grown new semimetal compounds using CVD and have been screening the samples by performing physical properties measurements (such as thermodynamic and transport measurements using PPMS) as well as samples characterisation using various powder and Laue XRD measurements. I have also performed band structure calculations using the Wien2k package. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Liverpool - Initial samples grown by KM in 2016 (before moving the Cambridge). Some PPMS measurements. Band structure calculations. UCLAN - single crystal XRD St. Andrews - APRES measurements (including some time at international facilities) HFML - High field magnetic experiments Oxford - Torque magnetometry measurements |
| Impact | A publication in Nature Communications has resulted from ARPES measurements in one sample, further measurements at the HFML in Nijmegen are being drafted into two additional publications. Other systems are showing interesting results and require further investigation. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | NbXSb Project |
| Organisation | University of Oxford |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The project involves materials discovery and characterisation. I have grown new semimetal compounds using CVD and have been screening the samples by performing physical properties measurements (such as thermodynamic and transport measurements using PPMS) as well as samples characterisation using various powder and Laue XRD measurements. I have also performed band structure calculations using the Wien2k package. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Liverpool - Initial samples grown by KM in 2016 (before moving the Cambridge). Some PPMS measurements. Band structure calculations. UCLAN - single crystal XRD St. Andrews - APRES measurements (including some time at international facilities) HFML - High field magnetic experiments Oxford - Torque magnetometry measurements |
| Impact | A publication in Nature Communications has resulted from ARPES measurements in one sample, further measurements at the HFML in Nijmegen are being drafted into two additional publications. Other systems are showing interesting results and require further investigation. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | NbXSb Project |
| Organisation | University of St Andrews |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The project involves materials discovery and characterisation. I have grown new semimetal compounds using CVD and have been screening the samples by performing physical properties measurements (such as thermodynamic and transport measurements using PPMS) as well as samples characterisation using various powder and Laue XRD measurements. I have also performed band structure calculations using the Wien2k package. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Liverpool - Initial samples grown by KM in 2016 (before moving the Cambridge). Some PPMS measurements. Band structure calculations. UCLAN - single crystal XRD St. Andrews - APRES measurements (including some time at international facilities) HFML - High field magnetic experiments Oxford - Torque magnetometry measurements |
| Impact | A publication in Nature Communications has resulted from ARPES measurements in one sample, further measurements at the HFML in Nijmegen are being drafted into two additional publications. Other systems are showing interesting results and require further investigation. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Thermal Hall Project |
| Organisation | University of Waterloo |
| Department | Department of Physics & Astronomy |
| Country | Canada |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Partnership to develop a new thermal hall measurement probe for use at ultra-low temperatures below 100 mK. Investigation of potential capacitive thermometry has been performed and some initial measurements of capacitance as a function of temperature done. A design for a new probe has been developed and constructed. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Measurements of capacitance were assisted by R. Hill of Waterloo. Samples of capacitors have been sent to Waterloo for further characterisation. |
| Impact | Publication is in the early stages of development. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Physics at Work |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Around 75 students from the local region visited the Cavendish Laboratory for a presentation/workshop on Superconductivity. The talks resulted in lots of questions and the feedback from the teachers and parents was very positive. The event has been running over the past 10 years and I have been presenting for the past four years. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016,2017,2018,2019 |