Solid State Chemistry Group

We are working on the synthesis and characterization of ceramic and single crystal materials with novel electronic and magnetic properties. Numerous complex oxide materials have been successfully crystallized by Traveling Solvent Floating Zone (TSFZ) method using optical furnace. This includes cuprates, manganates, orthoferrites, cobaltites, borates and phosphates. Novel chalcogenide iron superconductors have been synthesized in form of powders and single crystals (Bridgman method). Most of these crystals have volume of a few cm3 and are used for investigation of different physical properties using large facility instruments at Paul Scherrer Institute and in other scientific institutes.

We have been studying for a number of years the effect of isotope substitution (especially oxygen) on many physical properties in diverse superconducting (cuprates and iron chalcogenides) and magnetoresistance (manganates) materials as well as those showing metal-insulator transition (cobaltates). Thermodynamics of the oxygen in the oxides (oxygen pressure - point defect equilibrium) and oxidation/reduction kinetics (diffusion in solid state, surface reactions) are also of scientific interest in the group.

Our laboratory is equipped for solid state synthesis and crystal growth (different chamber and tubular furnaces, presses, arc- and image furnaces, milling, cutting and polishing machines) and many devices for characterization of materials. This includes thermal analysis instrumentation equipped with mass spectrometer, differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), powder and Laue x-ray diffractometers, Physical Property Measurement System, optical microscopes and micro x-ray fluorescence analyzer.

For details of the available equipment, please visit our Equipment website.

Selected subjects:

• Iron based superconductors
• Magnetic oxides
• Cuprates and other transition metal complex oxides
• Intermetallic compounds