| EPSRC Reference: |
EP/C51078X/2 |
| Title: |
Quantum phase transitions and frustrated quantum magnets explored by neutron scattering |
| Principal Investigator: |
Coldea, Dr R |
| Other Investigators: |
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| Researcher Co-Investigators: |
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| Project Partners: |
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| Department: |
Physics |
| Organisation: |
University of Bristol |
| Scheme: |
First Grant Scheme Pre-FEC |
| Starts: |
01 September 2005 |
Ends: |
30 June 2008 |
Value (£): |
120,287
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| EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
| Condensed Matter Physics |
Magnetism/Magnetic Phenomena |
| Quantum Fluids & Solids |
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| EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications: |
| No relevance to Underpinning Sectors |
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| Panel History: |
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
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This proposal is for fundamental research into the properties of coherent quantum states that arise from many-body correlations in quantum condensed matter. The aim is to explore quantum magnetic materials under high magnetic fields and in strongly-frustrated lattices in search for new paradigms of macroscopic quantum phenomena (quantum critical points, spin liquid states, fractional excitations etc). Transverse magnetic fields will be applied to an Ising magnet to introduce quantum fluctuations that melt the magnetic order in a quantum phase transition to a high-field paramagnetic state; neutron scattering measurements will be made to measure the critical fluctuations and observe directly how the nature and quantum numbers of quasiparticles changes upon crossing the critical transition point. The aim is to obtain experimental data to test current theoretical ideas of how quantum phase transitions occur microscopically and to test if critical fluctuations have universal properties. The phenomenology of quantized magnetization plateaus that occur in certain frustrated magnets will be explored by studying the ground state order and excitations in the 1/3rd plateau in a triangular quantum magnet. The possibility that frustration can stabilize novel types of order and excitations will be explored by neutron scattering measurements of the phase diagram and nature of quasparticles in two-dimensional quantum antiferromagnets with commensurate and incommensurate correlations; the effects of charge doping in these systems will also be explored. The experimental results will be compared with current theories of quantum phase transitions and frustrated quantum magnetism.
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Key Findings |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Impacts |
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| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
| Summary |
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| Date Materialised |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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| Project URL: |
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| Further Information: |
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| Organisation Website: |
http://www.bris.ac.uk |