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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/R71443/01
Title: Quantum phase transitions in transition metal compounds
Principal Investigator: Grosche, Professor FM
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Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
University of Cambridge
Department: Physics
Organisation: Royal Holloway, Univ of London
Scheme: Fast Stream
Starts: 21 February 2002 Ends: 20 February 2005 Value (£): 61,550
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Materials Characterisation
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
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Summary on Grant Application Form
Electron liquids in solids provide a wide and increasing range of research opportunities and applications. Of particular interest is the study of novel phenomena in pure metals on the threshold of magnetism or other types of order, which challenge our understanding of the metallic state. Building on the experience gained on narrow-band f-electron compounds such as CeCu2Si2 or CePd2Si2, in which superconductivity and an unconventional normal state can be found on the border to magnetism, it is proposed to investigate quantum phase transitions in transition metal compounds. Due to their higher electronic bandwidth and more complex lattice properties, a wider variety of phenomena extending to higher temperatures are expected in d-electron systems, examples of which already include high-temperature superconductivity and the accompanying anomalous normal state, as well as various types of charge, spin and orbital ordering. The programme entails the rapid scanning of new materials by tuning of quantum control parameters such as hydrostatic pressure, magnetic field and composition. For this exploration, simple and reliable equipment is to be assembled for (a) transport and heat capacity measurements under hydrostatic pressures of up to about 100 kbar, (b) single-shot refrigeration using adiabatic demagnetisation of a paramagnetic salt down to about 50mK and (c) materials synthesis using a radio-frequency generator.
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