Emergent high field behavior in actinide quantum materials

Non-Technical Abstract: Spin-triplet superconductivity is an exotic quantum phenomenon with potential for future quantum computing applications. This type of superconductivity is extremely rare in nature, so understanding its basic properties is of fundamental interest. In uranium ditelluride, this form of superconductivity has been identified; it has been found to survive up to extremely large magnetic fields and to exhibit other poorly understood effects, such as an angular halo shape. This project is an experimental investigation of the unusual superconductivity and the related electronic configurations that exist in high magnetic fields in uranium ditelluride. The research advances fundamental physical understanding of strong electron interactions and the resulting emergent quantum phases, including the stability of spin-triplet superconductivity and possibly topological superconductivity. This research program trains a graduate student, contributes to the training of junior researchers in quantum materials synthesis and measurement, and utilizes national scientific user facilities to perform specialized experiments. The program contributes to public outreach activities and educational opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students. Technical Abstract: Uranium ditelluride is a quantum material that hosts novel spin-triplet - possibly topologically nontrivial - superconductivity, which is of interest for possible quantum computing applications. This compound hosts several superconducting phases that are stable at high magnetic fields and exhibit unconventional behavior. This project focuses on studying the properties of the high-magnetic-field ordered phases, with the goal of improving understanding of the fundamental interactions that lead to the unusual superconducting states found in this material. The team synthesizes crystals of uranium ditelluride and performs a range of high magnetic field measurements, including electrical resistivity, contactless conductivity, magnetometry, and calorimetry. These measurements characterize the dependence of the superconductivity and other ordered phases on temperature, magnetic field, pressure, as well as other variables. The project advances understanding of strong electron correlations involving localized electrons, emergent states in quantum materials, and the properties of spin-triplet and topological superconductivity. A further benefit is the improvement of measurement techniques at high magnetic fields. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.