Emergent Functionalities at the Epitaxial Interfaces of Correlated and Spin-orbit Materials
Advances in predictive computational electronic structure theory, models of correlated systems, and the ability to engineer the structure of materials at the atomic scale provide the opportunity of synthesizing materials with specific properties. This project will combine analytic and predictive computational theory with experimental molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) growth and characterization to investigate the physical phenomena of well-characterized epitaxial materials with dimensions on the order of one to a few unit cells. Well-characterized epitaxial films of topological insulators and iron-based superconductors a few atomic layers thick will be grown on different substrates. These materials are expected to have enhanced functionalities such as superconductivity emerging from the interplay of strain, proximity to the substrate, and correlations and spin-orbit interactions. Experiment and theory will work closely and iteratively that can further our understanding of the fundamental materials physics as well as being of potential technological use. At these spatial dimensions, properties can vary significantly compared to the bulk, possibly generating novel physics and emergent functionalities through the interplay of strain, proximity to the substrate, correlations, and spin-orbit interactions.
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