STIR: Investigations of Candidate Topological Crystalline Insulator SnTe and Pb(1-x)Sn(x)Te

Abstract

The last five years has witness a dramatic expansion of the number of potential topological materials with a recent class of materials exploiting the crystal symmetry to create protectedstates of matter. This subset of topological materials are known as topological crystalline insulators. One candidate material, SnTe and its doped cousin Pb1-xSnxTe, offers a material system where various experimental methods of control of the topological states are possible. Further, details of the band structure potentially allow for tuning the interactions between electrons. There is excitement about exploiting these degrees of freedom in topological materials to create a panoply of novel condensed matter states, yet a definitive understanding of the topological properties of the normal and superconducting states in SnTe and Pb1-xSnxTe are lacking or unknown. Here PI Williams proposed a short, targeted study to make seminal investigations into this material to determine the nature of normal and superconducting state by employing an arsenal of measurement techniques with quantum level sensitivity. This work will provide the platform for building novel and potentially useful solid-state excitations with strong interactions in topological materials.

Document Details

Document Type
DoD Grant Award
Publication Date
Oct 16, 2018
Source ID
W911NF1710027

Entities

People

  • James Williams

Organizations

  • Army Contracting Command
  • United States Army
  • University of Maryland

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Educational Psychology
  • Nanocomposite Materials Science

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics
  • Microelectronics - Graphene
  • Quantum Computing