Discovery-Driven Search for Polar Electronic Phases

Chamorro, Juan R, Santa Barbara CA

Investigators

Abstract

This award is made as part of the FY 2021 Mathematical and Physical Sciences Ascending Postdoctoral Research Fellowships (MPS-Ascend). Each fellowship supports a research and training project at a host institution in the mathematical and physical sciences, including applications to other disciplines, under the mentorship of a sponsoring scientist. This fellowship to Dr. Juan Chamorro supports his research project entitled “Discovery-Driven Search for Polar Electronic Phases.” The host institution for the fellowship is the University of California at Santa Barbara, and the sponsoring scientists are Drs. Ram Seshardri and Rob Wilson. Dr. Chamorro’s project hypothesis is that polar electronic states, such as polar metals and superconductors, can potentially arise in carrier-doped ferroelectric and polar insulators depending on the strength of the doped electron-polar phonon coupling. If this coupling is weak, a polar metal state may arise. If this coupling is sufficiently strong, the destabilization of the ferroelectric state may give rise to superconductivity. The fellow will be co-advised by Seshadri and Wilson to test this hypothesis at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). He will perform theoretical calculations, experiments, and measurements using the facilities available at UCSB. The work will also include collaboration with another group to perform optical experiments on polar electronic material candidates. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.