The 17 Position Knob: Tuning Interactions With Rare Earths – Paul C. Canfield
Date: Mon. April 18th, 2016, 12:30 pm-1:30 pmLocation: Rockefeller 221
Physicists see the rare earth group of elements as a powerful tool for tuning the properties of materials. Choice or control of rare earths can be used to modify (i) the size of the unit cell, (ii) the size of the local moment and degree of coupling, (iii) the size and direction of magnetic anisotropy, (iv) the amount of entropy that can be removed at low temperatures, (v) the degree of band filling, and / or (vi) the degree of hybridization. In this seminar I will provide an overview and examples of how this region of the periodic table can be used to guide and inspire research into a wide swath of novel materials and ground states. By using rare earths as a focal point we can cut across superconductivity, metamagnetism, spinglasses, quasicrystals and quantum criticality all for the price of a single admission.