Condensed Matter Physics Division (CMPD) pursues several theme based research programs: investigation of structure and physical properties of materials under extreme conditions such as high pressures, low temperatures, high temperatures and high magnetic fields. Further, over the years various facilities for the synthesis of novel, superhard materials have been established including a Laser Heated Diamond Anvil Cell (LHDAC) facility. The systems under investigation encompass nuclear materials, superconductors, strongly correlated systems, magnetocaloric materials, topological insulators, multiferroics, energetic materials, frustrated systems, f-electron based intermetallics and oxides, glasses and super hard transition metal borides.
Research is also pursued to investigate emergent phenomena and proximity effects in heterostructures. Dynamic light scattering and confocal microscopy are utilized for studies on soft condensed matter. Optical trapping and manipulation of mesoscopic particles using holographic optical tweezers (HOTs) to study inter-particle interactions in colloidal suspensions/biological systems are being pursued. Besides there is also an intense effort towards quantum metrology based research studies using entangled photons.
Achievements
Pressure induced full fledged superconductivity in BaFe2As2 single crystal reported for the first time and a comprehensive studies on Unification of the Pressure and composition dependence of Superconductivity in Ru substituted BaFe2As2 have been brought out.
Enhanced superconductivity and superconductor to insulator transition in nano-crystalline molybdenum thin films
Observation of superconductivity in SrMnBi2 and Bi interface reported.
Evolution of superconducting properties of coexistent Bi-2212 and Bi-2223 phases in BSCCO high temperature superconductors in bulk as well as thin films yielding maximal Tc ~ 110K
Study of evolution of Normal and Superconducting states of MgCNi3 upon Fe and Co substitution and external pressure
Observance of Superconductivity in Fe1+δSe1-xTex thin films with maximal Tc ~14K
Detailed studies on magnetic and magneto-caloric rare earth based Selenides and manganite revealing large magnetocaloric effect in hexagonal multiferroic Yb1-xHoxMnO3 ; EuSe systems
Role of Se vacancies on Shubnikov deHaas oscillations in Bi2Se3 topological insulator has been comprehensively brought out in a combined magneto-resistance and positron annihilation studies
Observation Quantum coherence phenomenon in disordered Bi2SeTe2 topological single crystal revealing the effect of annealing
High pressure studies on electronic transport properties of Te substituted Bi2Se3-xTex topological insulators revealing multiple pressure induced phase transition from insulator to metal and then metal to superconductor.
Studies on magnetic properties of Cobalt-doped Bi1.9Co0.05 Sb0.05Se3 topological single crystals revealing Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations.
Observations on proximity induced changes of critical field in Mo/Bi1.95Sb0.05Se3 hybrid structure
High pressure studies on RuIn3 single crystal performed and reported for the first time
First report on Pressure Induced Insulator- Metal Transition of Localized States in FeSi1-xGex and quantitative understanding of its pressure dependent behaviour under novel proposed theoretical model.
Observance of Pressure Induced Insulator to Metal Transition in d-electron based kondo insulator FeSb2 and its understanding within our novel model
Thickness dependent electrical resistivity evolution in Fe1-xNixSb2 thin films
Proximity Effects Studies on the hetero-structures of Superconductors, Topological Insulators, Magnetic systems (CMR)
First report on Strain enhanced spin polarization in Nd0.43Sr0.57MnO3/YBa2Cu3O7 bilayres
Modulation of superconductivity by spin canting in a hybrid antiferromagnet/superconductor oxide
Thickness controlled proximity effect studies in C-type antiferromagnet/superconductor heterostructure Nd0.35Sr0.65MnO3/YBa2Cu3O7 demonstrating a dynamic completion between the superconducting pairing and the exchange field leading to re-entrance of the superconductivity for the first time.
A comprehensive investigation on current and magnetic field dependent proximity effects in the Nd0.43Sr0.57MnO3/YBa2Cu3O7 heterostructure
Discovered two new high pressure phases of energetic material TEX (C6H6N4O8: 4,10-Dinitro-2,6,8,12-tetraoxa-4,10-diazaisowurtzitane); investigated pressure induced phase transformations in melt-cast explosive dinitroanisole (DNAN), and Bis(3,5-dinitro-4-aminopyrazolyl) methane (BDNAPM)
Discovered new high pressure phases in molecular ferroelectric materials diisopropylammonium bromide (DIPAB), diisopropylammonium perchlorate (DIPAP) and hybrid organic-inorganic 2-D perovskite bis-benzylammonium lead tetrachloride (BALC)
Synthesized novel microgel-hydrogel composite photonic crystals (CPC), monitored and extracted uranyl ions in aqueous solutions using this CPC
Monitored structural and dynamical changes across Tg in network glasses (IPG, B2O3 and TeO2) at different length scales of ordering and correlated structure with property
Discovered elastic anomalies in Ca doped SrTiO3 quantum paraelectrics which was not previously known
Discovered elastic anomalies in ferroelectrics and mapped to phase transitions
Trapped NxN particles in arrays and different geometries using holographic optical tweezers (HOTs)
Tracked the volume phase transition in colloids and investigated PNIPAm structure, dynamics and viscoelasticity in various phases
Raman spectra of uranium metal were recorded (for the first time in the world) using a novel SERS technique, and reported
Development of metal anvil based high pressure and high temperature facility for resistivity studies
High pressure high temperature electrical resistivity on nickel provided evidence for Mott’s conjecture that significant changes occur at Curie temperature
The first high pressure structural stability studies on actinide compounds (UC, ThS and ThSe) were reported
High pressure high temperature electrical resistivity on U & Th indicated that Th becomes less metallic at high pressure
Indigenously developed Mao-Bell type Diamond Anvil Cell (DAC), capable of achieving P ~ 100 GPa
Systematic high pressure structural stability studies on early actinide elements and their intermetallic compounds, lanthanide based intermetallic compounds, transitions metals and their borides, metallic glasses, quasicrystals, fullerenes, rare-earth sesquioxides, pyrochlore systems, etc.
Establishing pressure composition phase diagram of mixed rare earth sequioxides
Setting up of the first Laser Heated Diamond Anvil Cell (LHDAC) facility in the country (P ~ 100 GPa, T ~ 5000 K)
High pressure synthesis of super hard MnC by LHDAC
Setting up of in-situ HPHT micro XRD facility (P ~ 25 GPa, T ~ 1000 K)
In-situ HPHT XRD shows enhanced kinetics of phase transformation in nano U3O8
Expertise
Indigenously developed Mao-Bell type Diamond Anvil Cell (DAC), capable of achieving P ~ 100 GPa
Design and development of micro heater for HELIOS membrane DAC
Design and development of liquid argon loading facility for loading liquefied argon in DAC