CAREER: TUNING QUANTUM STATES OF MAGNETIC TOPOLOGICAL SYSTEMS WITH PRESSURE

Non-technical abstract: Quantum magnets are promising platforms for quantum computation and future green technologies. As an emerging and dynamically evolving research area, adequate understanding of fundamental physics and design principles of these materials are still lacking. The goal of this project is to use external pressure as a control parameter to reveal complex quantum phases and advance our understanding and control ability of the emergent phases.

The studies provide insights to further synthetic efforts of novel quantum materials. The integrated education and outreach activities focus on bridging the gap of STEM workforce education in Alabama by (i) directly training next generation scientists at multi-scale facilities with a focus on women and underrepresented minorities, (ii) enhancing STEM research and education capacity in Alabama through organizing Lecture Series on Modern Synchrotron Techniques and Applications, (iii) contributing to the UAB physics-STEM Teaching and Learning Incubator program to enhance state-wide high school science teacher training, and (iv) promoting awareness in STEM career pathway and interest in scientific discovery in general public and disseminating scientific discoveries to broad audience through volunteering at McWane Science Center.

Technical abstract: Intrinsic magnetic topological materials exhibit exotic topological quantum phenomena with great potential applications in future quantum computation and spintronics. Using external pressure as a tuning knob, the project targets to experimentally discover novel quantum phenomena, realize ideal magnetic Weyl state in real materials, and unravel the interplay of magnetic structure, crystal symmetry, and topological states in representative magnetic Dirac materials.

The research employs a suite of cutting-edge experimental techniques, including the state-of-the-art synchrotron-based spectroscopy, scattering, and diffraction techniques, and lab-based transport and magnetization techniques combining with diamond anvil cell and piezoelectric uniaxial strain cell. The comprehensive experimental results aim to benchmark theoretical models for treatment of interplay of many-body physics and topology.

The fundamental understanding of the emergent properties helps to harness the magnetic topological materials for future applications.

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.