RII Track-4: Pressure Tuning of Magnetic Topological Insulators using Synchrotron X-ray Techniques

Quantum technology, such as quantum computing and spintronics, transitions quantum mechanical properties into practical applications. The key to accelerate this technology is to understand the fundamental physical properties governed by quantum mechanics in novel materials. This EPSCoR project aims to develop a new experimental approach to advance the fundamental understanding of quantum magnetic materials.

Specifically, modern synchrotron X-ray techniques combined with external pressure, a controllable degree of freedom, will be used to reveal the complex and exotic quantum phenomena in newly discovered materials incorporating intrinsic magnetism with non-trivial electronic structure. The microscopic insights gained in this project will guide the material design for desired functional properties.

This support will strengthen the collaborative efforts between University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL). It allows the PI’s group to gain full exposure to the state-of-the-art synchrotron facilities at APS and develop new technique that will expand the research capability at UAB.

The goals of the proposed research are to unravel the intriguing interplay of magnetic properties with the Dirac fermions and reveal rich quantum phases by applying external pressure. The proposed research will develop a novel experimental approach to study the interplay of magnetic order and nontrivial topology and provide feedback to synthetic design of novel quantum materials.

Using pressure as a tuning knob, interplay of crystal structure and magnetism will be established. The proposal adopts a combined experimental approach using the state-of-the-art synchrotron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, transport, and diamond anvil cell technology. Magnetic, transport, and structural properties of two model magnetic topological insulators, EuSn2Pn2 and EuMnBi2 will be investigated systematically.

This EPSCoR project will enable PI’s research group to perform collaborative research at the Advanced Photon Source (APS), Argonne National Laboratory (ANL). These activities will offer invaluable learning experience on the frontier synchrotron techniques through extensive interactions with the well-established experts at ANL, thus promoting the career development of next-generation scientists.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.