EPSCoR Research Fellows: NSF: Engineering Superconductivity in 5d Transition Metal Oxide Heterostructures

This Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII) EPSCoR Research Fellows project provides a fellowship to an assistant professor, and training for a graduate student, at New Mexico State University (NMSU). This work is conducted in collaboration with Prof. Darrell Schlom at Cornell University. Through the fellowship, the PI will study a special class of materials that can carry electricity with zero energy loss, a phenomenon known as superconductivity. The research focuses on a material called potassium tantalate, where unusual superconducting behavior has recently been observed when the material is engineered in extremely thin layers. The research combines materials science and condensed matter physics to understand how atomic structure and layer orientation influence superconductivity. Understanding these effects will help scientists design new quantum materials with improved electronic properties that will benefit emerging technologies. The fellowship will also strengthen research capabilities in quantum materials at NMSU, provide advanced training for graduate students, and expand collaboration with Cornell University. This project will investigate superconductivity in two-dimensional electron gases formed in 5d transition metal oxide heterostructures with strong spin–orbit coupling. The research will examine how quantum confinement and crystal orientation influence the electronic structure and angular momentum and ultimately their relationship to superconductivity. Superconducting KTaO3-based two-dimensional electron gases will be grown using molecular beam epitaxy, and their electronic properties will be characterized through low-temperature transport measurements in a helium-3 refrigerator. The fellowship will advance NMSU faculty expertise in condensed matter physics, provide training opportunities for NMSU students through exposure to Cornell’s advanced research environment, and upgrade the oxide thin-film growth facility at NMSU through the acquisition of a reflection high-energy electron diffraction system, strengthening the university's quantum materials research program. The research activities will also be integrated with curriculum development in modern materials and expanded collaboration between NMSU and Cornell University, supporting workforce development in quantum materials in New Mexico. This project is supported by the EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program: EPSCoR Research Fellows, which supports early- and mid-career investigators in eligible jurisdictions to develop collaborations at the nation's private, government or academic research institutions. 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. NSF Award ID: 2531774 | Program: 01002627DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT | Principal Investigator: Ludi Miao | Institution: New Mexico State University, LAS CRUCES, NM | Award Amount: $298,472 View on NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/show-award/?AWD_ID=2531774 View on Research.gov: https://www.research.gov/awardapi-service/v1/awards/2531774.html