Synthesis and Characterization of Advanced Superconductors

• Grant number: 25/03504-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: July 01, 2025
• End date: August 31, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Condensed Matter Physics
• Principal Investigator: Pascoal Jose Giglio Pagliuso
• Grantee: Rodolfo Carvalho dos Santos
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física Gleb Wataghin (IFGW). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Superconductivity is a phenomenon of great scientific and technological interest, with applications in energy transmission, quantum computing, and advanced electronic devices. A deeper understanding of this phenomenon and the search for superconducting materials with higher critical temperatures remain subjects of intense scientific investigation. In this context, this PhD project is divided into three main research fronts. The first front involves the growth and characterization of nanowires composed of pure superconducting elements, such as Sn and In, using the metallic flux nanonucleation (NNFM) technique to study the effects of dimensional reduction on superconductivity. The second front focuses on the production and characterization of BaFe$_2$As$_2$ single crystals doped with Ni and Co, aiming to analyze the influence of doping and post-annealing on superconducting properties, particularly in the mixed state.The third front is dedicated to the growth of new metallic superconductors based on transition metals. In particular, YNiSn$_2$ single crystals, an novel compound synthesized by our group and a possible Dirac semimetal, will serve as the platform for synthesis routes. The project will be carried out using advanced growth and characterization techniques, supported by laboratory infrastructure equipped with PPMS, SQUID, X-ray diffractometry, EDS, and WDS spectroscopy, as well as collaborations with national and international research groups. The combination of these approaches will enable scientific advancements in the field and the development of new materials with enhanced properties.