Magnetism in High-Tc Superconductors
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Astrid Tranum Rømer
Institution
University of Copenhagen
Beløb
DKK 604,953
År
2018
Bevillingstype
Reintegration Fellowships
Hvad?
High-temperature superconductivity is the milestone of emergent electronic phenomena. Below a critical temperature collective behavior of the electrons enables conductance without any resistance. A common feature of high-temperature superconductors is the proximity to competing electronic phases like magnetic order. We will study the different electronic ordering phenomena underlying the superconducting phase in a class of superconductors known as the cuprates. By use of neutron scattering experiments and theory modeling, we will reveal microscopic details on the magnetic structures and fluctuations which are intimately related to superconductivity. Furthermore, we will address effects of intrinsic disorder with the potential of future engineered systems with high critical temperature.
Hvorfor?
The field of high-temperature superconductivity holds great promises for solutions to future energy supply. But for efficient application possibilities it is desirable to construct materials with higher critical temperature than today's materials. Three decades after the discovery of the first high-temperature superconductor, it is known that electrons form pairs and these pairs are the basic building blocks for superconductivity. However, the microscopic mechanism behind the electronic pairing phenomenon remains controversial. The strength of the pairing glue is directly related to the superconducting critical temperature. Once we know what governs the pairing strength we will be able to design superconductors of even higher critical temperatures.
Hvordan?
The work will be performed at the international neutron scattering facility, Institut Laue Langevin (ILL) in Grenoble, France. It comprises three essential ingredients of condensed matter research: sample fabrication, measurement and theory. The combination of experimental and theoretical aspects of the project gives it a unique angle that is much more likely to address essential questions in superconductivity than if theoretical and experimental work were performed by separated groups. The experimental design is performed in collaboration with researchers at the Niels Bohr Institute, the Technical University of Denmark and the experimental staff at ILL. The theoretical work is performed with researchers from the Niels Bohr Institute and local theoreticians in Grenoble.