Investigation of quantum materials with calorimetry

• Grant number: 24/16259-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2024
• End date: September 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Condensed Matter Physics
• Principal Investigator: Julio Antonio Larrea Jimenez
• Grantee: Enzo Stefanelli Negrini
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física (IF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 18/08845-3 - An investigation into topological and exotic quantum states under extreme conditions (InvestInTopQuantEx), AP.JP

Abstract

The IC fellow's project addresses a challenging problem in the physics of condensed matter:developing an experimental platform for measuring specific heat in quantum materials.The construction of this platform will be financially supported by the Young Researcher FAPESPproject (process 2018/08845-3) of Prof. Julio Larrea, who is also the supervisor of this proposal andcurrently leader of the Laboratory for Quantum Matter under Extreme Conditions (LQMEC) in theDepartment of Experimental Physics (FEP) of the Institute of Physics at USP.We expect that the proposed experimental performs specific heat measurements on very smallsamples (on the order of a few mg) that will allow us to discover different collective quantum statesbased on the charge, orbitals and spin of the electrons. Revealing these collective states is ofenormous interest for generating new functional quantum materials with applications in spintronics,thermoelectricity and superconductivity.The IC student is also expected to take advantage of the infrastructure at the Physics Institute ofthe University of São Paulo (IFUSP) and LQMEC. In particular, the results may generate a route forcreating new functional materials, as well as develop an experimental platform to measure thermodynamicproperties suitable to work in cryogenic temperatures and also at high temperatures, makingit versatile for solving existing problems within physics. fundamental and in other areas such asproduction and characterization of materials.