Projects / Programmes
Ultrahitra elektronska dinamika v kovinah in določanje konstante sklopitve med elektroni in fononi. (Slovene)
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 1.02.01 |
Natural sciences and mathematics |
Physics |
Physics of condesed matter |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 1.03 |
Natural Sciences |
Physical sciences |
Researchers (8)
Organisations (1)
| no. |
Code |
Research organisation |
City |
Registration number |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
0106 |
Jožef Stefan Institute |
Ljubljana |
5051606000 |
18 |
Significance for science
The goal of the project is to link functional properties of materials to two fundamental parameters: the electron-phonon coupling constant and the Coulomb pseudopotential. Functional properties of materials depend crucially on their non-equilibrium behavior and on the relaxation processes from non-equilibrium situations. Therefore the relaxation processes are the core object of our study. The theoretical concepts we have developed are universal and applicable to a wide range of material classes beyond those targeted by this project. That is the reason why our results are published in leading international journals and well cited.
The values of the two parameters are not well defined. As a result, the importance of electron-phonon interactions in correlated electron systems, most spectacularly high temperature superconductors, has been hotly debated for more than 20 years. Our work relieves this uncertainty and makes an important step forward in understanding the mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity, which remains one of the most controversial unsolved problems in condensed matter physics.
Significance for the country
A chronic problem of Slovenian industry is the low added value of its products, which leads to low wages and social unrest. Raising the technological level of its industry can only be achieved by incorporation of new knowledge into its products. The materials studied in this project provide the scope for development of new technologically evolved products with a high degree of added value, in a number of fields as outlined below.
This project was not aimed at a specific marketable product. Rather, it aims at determining fundamental material parameters and their relation to functional properties, which are of immediate technological relevance. The material classes under study are different families of superconductors. For superconductors play very important role in the developements of new technologies. Once these breakthroughs happen, they can only be capitalized upon when the know-how about these materials is readily available, both in terms of their processing as well as their functionalities. Therefore the immediate technological impact is to build the potential to ride imminent waves of innovation. In the following we give a brief outline of the technological potential of the two material classes.
Superconductors have a large variety of uses and their market volume currently doubles every 3-5 years. In medicine they are used in magnetic resonance imaging and magnetoencephalography. In the energy sector, they serve as virtually loss-free cables, generators, as well for energy storage and fault-limiting. Detectors based on superconductors can detect very low signals of X-rays, light, and magnetic fields. In information technology they show massive potential for Josephson-junction based computers and high-speed routers for networks. In transport they allow magnetic levitation for energy-efficient high-speed trains.
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2009,
2010,
2011,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2009,
2010,
2011,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
