Development of a Novel Low-Temperature Nano-Calorimeter for Low-Dimensional Materials Research and Education

University Of Virginia Main Campus, Charlottesville VA

Investigators

Abstract

This grant provides support for the development of a novel low-temperature nano-calorimeter for low-dimensional materials research and education at the University of Virginia. This new instrument is expected to have a high heat capacity resolution to study electronic materials in a low-dimensional geometry at low temperatures. This new instrument will, for the first time, be able to explore heat capacity behaviors of low-dimensional electronic systems at extremely low temperatures. Heat capacity is one of the most fundamental physical properties as it directly probes thermodynamic quantities such as entropy. However, heat capacities of low-dimensional electronic systems have been nearly unexplored at extremely low temperatures. By measuring heat capacities of various low-dimensional systems in this unexplored regime, our calorimeter will open new horizons in studying electron and phonon densities of states, magnetic interactions and ordering, and structural or electronic phase transitions in thin film samples. Low-dimensional electronic systems have been a focus of research on modern science and technology, and will be in the future. As heat capacity would provide essential information on understanding material properties, our proposed calorimeter will have a significant impact on current and future materials research and education.