Molecular Beam Epitaxy of Superconducting Oxides Group
(Clockwise from back left) Brookhaven Lab physicists Ivan Bozovic, Anthony Bollinger, and Jie Wu, and postdoctoral researcher Xi He used the molecular beam epitaxy system seen above to synthesize perfect single-crystal thin films made of lanthanum, strontium, oxygen, and copper (LSCO). They brought these superconducting films to the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory to see how the electrical resistance of LSCO in its "strange" metallic state changes under extremely strong magnetic fields.
U.S. Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman (right) and U.S. Under Secretary of Science Raymond L. Orbach (middle) visiting the MBE lab, 2 June 2006. Left: Ivan Bozovic. Back row: BNL Director Sam Aronson (right) and Chemistry Department Chair Alex Harris (left).
U.S. Undersecretary of Science at the Department of Energy Dr. Steven Koonin (right) visiting the MBE lab, 24 Nov 2009. Left: Ivan Bozovic.
First, we are developing beyond the state-of-art techniques for film synthesis, processing, device fabrication, and characterization:
- Atomic-layer-by-layer molecular beam epitaxy (ALL-MBE) and combinatorial MBE (COMBE) synthesis of atomically smooth thin films, multilayers, superlattices, and combinatorial libraries of complex oxides, such as high-temperature superconductor (HTS) cuprates, and other quantum materials.
- Manufacturing various HTS devices and nano-structures such as nanowires, nano rings, SIN, SIS, and SNS junctions, etc.
- High-temperature / high-pressure annealing in ozone; ionic liquid and solid electrolyte gating.
- Angle-resolved measurements of resistivity and magneto-transport; measurements of the magnetic penetration depth with <1% absolute accuracy.
Second, we leverage these technical advances to fabricate unique samples and enable incisive new experiments to address the critical questions in the physics of (HTS):
- What is the dimensionality of the HTS phenomenon?
- What are the spin and charge of free carriers?
- What is the nature of the superconducting transition?
- What is the nature of the overdoped metallic state – a Fermi liquid?
- What is the ‘glue’ (the bosons) responsible for electron pairing?
- What is the mechanism of the Giant Proximity Effect (GPE)?
Third, we leverage these insights to discover or artificially assemble new and superior quantum materials, including new superconductors.
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