idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft

Nachrichten, Termine, Experten

Grafik: idw-Logo
Grafik: idw-Logo

idw - Informationsdienst
Wissenschaft

Science Video Project
idw-Abo

idw-News App:

AppStore

Google Play Store



Instance:
Share on: 
09/09/2024 14:49

ERC Starting Grant to explore the intrinsic orbital dynamics of Kagome superconductors

Jenny Witt Presse- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit
Max-Planck-Institut für Struktur und Dynamik der Materie

    Chunyu Guo, group leader in the Department for Microstructured Quantum Matter at the Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter (MPSD) in Hamburg, Germany, has been awarded a Starting Grant by the European Research Council (ERC) for his Free-Kagome project. He will investigate the novel effects of electronic correlations in the recently discovered AV₃Sb₅ family of Kagome superconductors using a sophisticated framework that isolates the samples from external influences and makes it possible to control them with extremely high precision.

    The atomic structure of Kagome materials resembles the pattern of the Japanese basket weaving method which they are named after. A non-trivial electronic order may occur upon this lattice – a current orbiting within the unit cell, known as the orbital loop current. It is also responsible for setting the handedness of the chiral charge order and creating a magnetic moment. This results in a robust entanglement between the magnetic, electronic, and structural degrees of freedom and means that manipulating one order can affect or modify another, akin to the unique electromagnetic responses of multiferroics. It also renders the intrinsic characteristics inaccessible through conventional means, as even slight variations in experimental conditions can significantly affect the physical properties of these materials.

    In his ERC project, Chunyu Guo will investigate the intrinsic orbital dynamics in Kagome materials using three different approaches: By atomically engineering the 2D Kagome nets, thermally quenching them to create 3D Kagome glass, and optically controlling the chiral domains via polarized light. Each step will provide unambiguous information about the intrinsic electronic orders in AV₃Sb₅.

    Guo and his team bring unique skills to this research area due to their scientific background as well as their expertise in the use of Focused Ion Beam (FIB) technology. The FIB permits the nanometrically precise fabrication of AV₃Sb₅ microstructures. The samples are suspended via extremely soft springs carved out of thin silicon nitride membranes. This unique, force-free set-up permits a significant strain reduction of more than 99% compared to a conventional set-up. Without it, the material would show drastic changes due to residual strain, making it impossible to probe its intrinsic properties.

    “In the past few years, we’ve dedicated ourselves to developing this technique,” says Chunyu Guo. “Now, thanks to the ERC Starting Grant, we can finally pursue the fascinating correlated orders in Kagome superconductors.”

    The project team will be based in the Department for Microstructured Quantum Matter, led by Philip Moll, which was established at the MPSD in 2021. Its researchers investigate quantum materials whose electrons fundamentally behave differently than those in materials like, for example, copper or silicon. They apply apply controlled strain and strain gradients to microstructured quantum materials which are impossible to achieve on the macro scale.

    Chunyu Guo obtained his Bachelor's degree (2014) and PhD in Physics (2019) at Zhejiang University in China before joining the Moll group at EPFL in Switzerland. In 2022 he moved to the MPSD with the group.

    The European Research Council awards Starting Grants worth up to €1,5 million over five years to outstanding young researchers with a promising scientific track record.

    The MPSD is one of more than 80 institutes in the Max Planck Society (MPG) which carry out basic research in the natural sciences, life sciences, social sciences and the humanities. It is located in the Science City Hamburg-Bahrenfeld whose world-class research infrastructure and unparalleled range of light sources provide the ideal setting for pioneering work in materials science.


    Contact for scientific information:

    Chunyu Guo: chunyu.guo@mpsd.mpg.de


    More information:

    https://www.mpsd.mpg.de/904690/2024-09-erc-guo?c=16291


    Images

    Chunyu Guo, recipient of the ERC Starting Grant
    Chunyu Guo, recipient of the ERC Starting Grant

    private image


    Criteria of this press release:
    Journalists, Scientists and scholars, Students, all interested persons
    Electrical engineering, Materials sciences, Physics / astronomy
    transregional, national
    Contests / awards
    English


     

    Help

    Search / advanced search of the idw archives
    Combination of search terms

    You can combine search terms with and, or and/or not, e.g. Philo not logy.

    Brackets

    You can use brackets to separate combinations from each other, e.g. (Philo not logy) or (Psycho and logy).

    Phrases

    Coherent groups of words will be located as complete phrases if you put them into quotation marks, e.g. “Federal Republic of Germany”.

    Selection criteria

    You can also use the advanced search without entering search terms. It will then follow the criteria you have selected (e.g. country or subject area).

    If you have not selected any criteria in a given category, the entire category will be searched (e.g. all subject areas or all countries).