New Ruthenium Oxides: Compounds Poised between Magnetic and Non-magnetic Ground States

Princeton University, Princeton NJ

Investigators

Abstract

This project addresses novel complex solids such as transition metal oxides, and in particular understanding the relationships between chemistry, crystal structures, and physical properties. The challenges arise due to strong interactions between d electrons, not currently successfully treated by theoretical models, and also due to the delicate balance between nearly energetically equivalent ground states that often arises from coupling between electronic, magnetic, and structural degrees of freedom. This project will directly address the critical factors that cause some chemical compounds to be magnetic, while others are not, through the discovery and characterization of ruthenium-based oxides, compounds that are expected to straddle the border between magnetism and non-magnetism. Graduate and undergraduate students will be trained through this project to become future researchers in the critical area of materials for technological applications. A course in freshman chemistry, designed by the PI to develop future engineers' understanding of the chemical compounds used in technology, will be given. The PI will be involved in training high school and middle school science teachers and will make presentations at local primary and secondary schools to address the science "pipeline", and will actively encourage the participation of women and minorities in the project. Although not apparent to society as a whole, today's technologies, ranging from electronic to medical systems, are based on chemical compounds that critically enable their function. These compounds have been discovered and developed over decades of basic and applied research in solid state and materials chemistry. Much of our current and potentially future technology is based on complex compounds of the transition elements. In spite of that importance, revolutionary discoveries in the recent past have shown that our understanding of such compounds is surprisingly poor. This project will directly address one of the great deficiencies in our understanding - What are the critical factors that cause some chemical compounds to be magnetic, while others, quite similar, are not? - through the study of a class of compounds, ruthenium-based oxides, that straddle the border between magnetism and non-magnetism. Graduate and undergraduate students will be trained to become future researchers in the critical area of materials for technological applications. A course in freshman chemistry, designed by the PI to develop future engineers' understanding of the chemical compounds used in technology, will be given. The PI will be involved in training high school and middle school science teachers and will make presentations at local primary and secondary schools to address the science "pipeline", and will actively encourage the participation of women and minorities in the project.