Condensed Matter Seminar: "Development, synthesis, and bulk crystal growth of novel/quantum materials"

Almost every new technological innovation depends significantly upon the discovery of new materials with novel physical properties. The development, growth and structural analysis of materials, particularly in the form of single crystals, establishes how materials work at a fundamental level, helps to design better functional materials, and opens up pathways for deeper fundamental understanding of condensed matter physics to uncover novel phases of matter. Therefore, crystal growth of stoichiometric and high-quality solids of the increasingly complex materials of current interest is vital. Here, we show that achieving such perfection requires detailed understanding of the system under investigation, coupled with in-depth knowledge of crystal growth processes and the thermodynamics involved. In this talk, our recent development on some of the pyrochlore structure compounds will be presented. Strong dependence of their physical, compositional and structural properties on synthesis and float-zone growth conditions will also be shown.