Xie Lab

Low-dimensional materials hold immense importance in the field of condensed matter physics due to their unique quantum behaviors that emerge from reduced dimensionality. The restriction of electrons to one-dimensional pathways enhances electron-electron interactions, leading to phenomena like charge density waves (CDWs) and superconductivity. These materials provide a platform to explore how reduced dimensions influence electronic properties, chemical bonding, and phase transitions, offering the potential to revolutionize quantum technologies and unlock new states of matter, particularly in the quest for high-temperature superconductors and advanced electronic devices. This project will involve growing the single crystals of low dimensional materials and study their electronic properties. During the 10-week program, the student, together with a graduate student mentor, will conduct these measurements on a series of samples, analyze the data and compare the results with prior work, and present the results both to our group and at the MSU-wide undergraduate research conference.

Scientific goals:   

• Investigate the factors that stabilize superconductivity and charge density waves (CDWs) in low-dimensional materials.  
•  Define the relationships between crystal structures, chemical bonding interactions, CDWs, and superconductivity, aiming to uncover how these elements collectively influence the material’s electronic properties.

Student learning goals: 

• Various methods of growing single crystals. 
• Structural characterization methods, including X-ray diffraction and SEM 
• Electronic properties study and measurements.