Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English en
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS

Realising two-dimensional heavy fermions in rare-earth intercalated transition metal dichalcogenides

Project description

Novel, tuneable heavy-fermion phases in 2D monolayer films

Exotic states often emerge in quantum materials close to quantum criticality, where they are sensitive to external stimuli. Small fluctuations near critical points give rise to phenomena like high-temperature superconductivity and exotic magnetic phases. Heavy fermions (HFs) are close to a quantum critical point and have emerged as promising systems to study quantum criticality. Lower dimensions (e.g. 2D systems) enhance fluctuations and electron correlations but the 3D intermetallic nature of HFs makes this difficult to achieve. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the 2D RE-TMDCs project aims to establish intercalated transition metal dichalcogenides (I-TMDCs) with rare-earth intercalation in 2D monolayer films as a new, tuneable class of 2D HF materials.

Objective

Quantum materials exhibit unique emergent phases driven by many-body interactions, and a major goal of material science is to harness their properties. Importantly, such materials are sensitive to external stimuli by often being close to quantum criticality, where fluctuations near critical points give rise to phenomena like high-temperature superconductivity and exotic magnetic phases. This opens routes for manipulating and controlling key quantum states. Heavy fermions (HF), characterized by competing magnetic and Kondo interactions, are central to quantum criticality. Dimensionality reduction is an exciting route to control the ground states of HF, as lower dimensions enhance fluctuations and electron correlations. However, the intermetallic nature and thus three-dimensionality of conventional HF make accessing two-dimensional (2D) HF challenging. The project aims to establish intercalated transition metal dichalcogenides (I-TMDCs) as a versatile platform for realizing HF phases in 2D monolayer films.
I-TMDCs are ideal for engineering Kondo physics. Their layered structure enables creation of new electronic phases via intercalation. The flexibility in choosing intercalant, host material, and intercalation ratio adds tunability over magnetic and electronic properties, while also providing a route to dimensionality reduction in 2D films. This project will leverage the precision of molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) in combination with the advanced spectroscopic techniques angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) and low temperature scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM). Together with theoretical modelling, the methods will offer a comprehensive approach to determining the low energy electronic structure and ground state of I-TMDCs. By building upon conventional I-TMDCs, the project will introduce strongly correlated properties of f-electrons and HF physics via rare-earth intercalation, ultimately establishing a novel and tuneable class of 2D HF materials.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

Keywords

Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Funding Scheme

HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships

See all projects funded under this funding scheme

Call for proposal

(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01

See all projects funded under this call

Coordinator

THE UNIVERSITY COURT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ST ANDREWS
Net EU contribution
€ 260 347,92
Address
NORTH STREET 66 COLLEGE GATE
KY16 9AJ ST ANDREWS
United Kingdom
Region
Scotland Eastern Scotland Clackmannanshire and Fife
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost
No data