Quadrupole order and dynamics in quantum materials- new insights to electronic nematicity
Abstract
This proposal explores several new aspects of quadrupole order and quadrupole dynamics in rare earth-containing materials. The goal is to understand the roles played by nematic order and nematic fluctuations in a variety of strongly correlated quantum materials, with an emphasis on emergent behavior proximate to nematic quantum phase transitions. Ferroquadrupole order, in which local atomic sites develop identically-oriented spontaneous quadrupole moments, provides a specific realization of electronic nematic order. Materials that harbor quadrupolar order can therefore provide deep insights to open questions about the roles played by nematic fluctuations in a wide range of strongly correlated quantum materials, including effects arising from interactions with the lattice, with nuclear degrees of freedom, with conduction electrons, and with the disorder that is implicit in chemically-substituted materials. The present work elucidates behavior proximate to the quadrupolar (nematic) quantum phase transitions in a variety of candidate materials. The study includes investigation of slow dynamics associated with putative quadrupolar glass behavior and its effect on materials properties across the wider phase diagram. The proposed work has two primary scientific objectives- (1) to discover and understand new physics associated with the ferroquadrupolar (nematic) quantum phase transition, and (2) to explore and understand the origins and properties of the quadrupolar glass state. Two cross-cutting themes are- (3) the discovery and crystal growth of candidate materials, and (4) development of new experimental approaches to couple to multipolar order in quantum materials. Our research will ultimately yield a deeper understanding of the roles played by nematic order and nematic fluctuations in a variety of electronic materials, and how these effects are modified by the quenched disorder that is inevitable in chemically-substituted materials. These insights will enable better design of future materials.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Feb 06, 2025
- Source ID
- FA95502410357
Entities
People
- Ian Fisher
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Stanford University
- United States Air Force