Thermoelectricity and heat transport in topological Kondo Insulators

• Grant number: 21/00625-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: August 01, 2021
• End date: December 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Condensed Matter Physics
• Agreement: Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science
• Principal Investigator: Valentina Martelli
• Grantee: David Mioto Nunes de Oliveira
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física (IF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 18/19420-3 - Thermoelectricity and heat transport in topological materials, AP.JP

Abstract

Topological Insulators (TI) are bulk insulators with dissipation-less metallic surface states protected by time-reversal symmetry, hosted in a material with insulating bulk. Topological Kondo Insulators (TKI) are a special class of TI where the insulating gap stems from strong electronic correlations. The investigation of these materials has been attracting the attention of the condensed matter community for the exotic states that can be hosted and for the potential technological applications that the manipulation of those electronic states can offer. In this context, the aim of this PhD project if to investigate the thermoelectric response in the candidate Topological Kondo insulators (TKI) SmB6 and Ce3Bi4Pt3 to bring relevant insights in the microscopic understanding of organization of charge carriers and to explore which microscopic parameters determine the thermoelectric response. Thermal and thermoelectric transport in high-quality single crystals will be investigated under extreme conditions (low temperature and high-field). To explore the role of dimensionality, thin films and heterostructures based on SmB6 will be prepared and investigated. This project takes place in the newly established tandem research group at IFUSP, supported by FAPESP in collaboration with the Max Planck Institute. Part of the scientific activities will be carried out in collaboration with the project Partner at MPI in Dresden. (AU)