Research
 

Emergence and topology in quantum materials

The work of the group is concerned with the bewildering variety of emergent and topological phenomena observed in quantum materials, such as magnetic order, unconventional superconductivity, charge order, orbital order, universal transport coefficients, topologically protected band crossings, etc.  Our goal is to uncover the physical principles behind these phenomena by performing careful experiments and by comparing the results with current theories.

Our current interests include magnetic topological metals and semimetals, and magnetic oxides, especially antiferromagnets and spin transport phenomena. In both classes of material there exists an enormous array of different types of ordering phenomena, which ultimately control the physical properties of the material. Quantum fluctuations due to low dimensionality, small moments, or magnetic frustration are often important too.

The principal experimental techniques used are neutron scattering, carried out at the ILL(France), ISIS and other European facilities, e.g. MLZ (Munich) and SINQ (Switzerland), and magnetic x-ray scattering performed at the ESRF (France), Diamond Light Source and Petra-III (Germany). We also perform magnetometry, transport and heat capacity experiments in Oxford.

 

 

Current projects

 

Prof. Andrew Boothroyd

Clarendon Laboratory

Department of Physics

Oxford University

Oxford, OX1 3PU

United Kingdom

phone

 +44 (0) 1865 272376

fax

+44 (0) 1865 272400

a.boothroyd@physics.ox.ac.uk

 

 

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  • Magnetic topological metals and semimetals

  • Spin and charge order in doped antiferromagnets

  • Novel electronic behaviour in 5d oxides

  • Magnetic properties of iron-based superconductors

  •                     

    Magnetic structure of NaxCoO2 (x ~ 0.75)

     

    Crystal Growth of Novel Magnetic Oxides

    Much of the experimental work requires single crystal samplesLarge, high-quality single crystals are prepared in the Crystal Growth Laboratory, run by Dr D. Prabhakaran. Crystal growth techniques include the floating-zone method in conventional and high pressure/high temperature image furnaces, flux growth, Czochralski method, and chemical vapour transport. Click here for more details.

       

    Single crystal of CoNb2O6.

     

    Facilities and Equipment in the Group

    The group has access to a range of state-of-the art equipment for sample preparation, characterisation and fundamental measurements.

     

      

    Image furnace for crystal growth by the floating-zone method