Artificial designer heterostructures of correlated electron systems open up a wide range of exciting possibilities for the creation of new materials. The atomic-layer-by-atomic-layer deposition now achievable in thin films gives a unique potential to manipulate the properties of this new class of materials, ultimately allowing the creation of new phases with properties difficult to attain in bulk compounds. Relevant examples that have attracted wide interest in recent years include unconventional superconductors, complex density wave ordering and topologically nontrivial phases.
In many of these materials unconventional transport mechanisms exist such as via topologically protected edge states, ballistic transport or hydrodynamic regimes. The question this project will focus on is ‘where does dissipation and information loss occur in these systems?’. This is both of interest from a fundamental scientific point of view (very little is known about dissipation on the nanoscale) as well as for future technological applications of these materials. The experimental condensed matter PhD project will be part of EPSRC funded research program focused on new bespoke instrumentation for the measurement of temperature on the nanoscale to be applied to unconventional metals, topological insulators and new thin film materials.
The successful candidate will be embedded in the Centre for Designer Quantum Materials at the School of Physics and Astronomy and the associated centre for doctoral training in quantum materials (https://www.quantummatter.co.uk/qm-cdt). This will enable development as an interdisciplinary scientist with a thorough grounding in experimental techniques, complemented by understanding of a wide range of current topics in materials research.
Informal enquiries are strongly encouraged, please contact:
Dr Andreas Rost / [Email Address Removed]./
https://rost.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk
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