Condensed Matter & Thermal Physics Group, MPA-10

Condensed Matter & Thermal Physics Group

The Condensed Matter and Thermal Physics Group emphasizes fundamental research on condensed matter with complimentary thrusts in Thermal Physics, Correlated Electron Materials, and Actinide Chemistry.

Thermal Physics Thrust
The Thermal physics R&D activities in MPA-10 have common roots in thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, and statistical mechanics. Projects range from fundamental research to industrial applications. Teams within this thrust include: Thermoacoustics, Nonlinear Dynamics, and Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative R&D.

Correlated Electron Materials Thrust
Materials physics research in MPA-10 is organized around the theme “new physics through new materials”, with an historical and continuing focus on discovering new phenomena in strongly correlated electron materials. Our emphasis is on heavy-fermion systems where electronic correlations enhance the effective mass of charge carriers to as much as 1000 times the mass of a free electron, leading to novel superconducting and magnetic behavior. We also have a strong scientific and applied interest in novel plutonium and actinide materials. Broadly, our materials physics thrust is composed of three interconnected efforts: materials preparation/crystal growth, thermodynamic and transport measurements at extreme conditions (pressure/temperature/magnetic field), and low-energy spectroscopies.

Actinide Chemistry Thrust

The Actinide Chemistry effort in MPA-10 is a multidisciplinary research program that applies inorganic/organometallic 4f/5f-element, materials, fluorocarbon, organic, and metal-mediated catalytic and stoichiometric chemistries towards the Nation’s programmatic needs in defense, threat reduction, and energy.  Our team maintains collaborations across the Lab and is composed of the following interconnected research areas:  Actinide-Ligand Multiple Bonds, 5f-Electron Delocalization and Communication, Transformations Uniquely Enabled by 5f-Orbitals, Actinide Molecular Magnetic Materials, Lanthanide-Ligand Multiple Bonds, and Transition Metal, Lanthanide and Actinide Fluorinated Materials Chemistry.

MPA-10 TEAMS

Thermal Physics

• Thermoacoustics
• Nonlinear Dynamics
• Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative R&D

Correlated Electrons

• Materials Synthesis and Characterization
• Transport and Thermodynamics
• Novel Materials at Extreme Conditions
• Very Low Temperature Physics

Actinide Chemistry

• Heavy-Element Chemistry

Low Energy Spectroscopy

• Condensed Matter NMR
• Photoelectron Spectroscopy
• Magnetic Resonance Force Microscopy
• Mossbauer Spectroscopy
• Neutron Scattering