ABSTRACT
Since the times of Bernd Matthias new materials synthesis and characterization has been pushing the boundaries of condensed matter physics. In my presentation I will briefly go over some basic principles of flux method crystal growth and then will focus on the discovery of important physics in iron diantimonide, a correlated electron semiconductor that was found to host colossal thermopower, among the highest in nature. Its mechanism is presently not understood and moreover there is a wide variety in its reported values. In my talk I will show how atomic defects create in-gap states of Fe orbital character that carry high electronic diffusion thermopower whereas phonon drag acting on such states – when crystal is engineered to have high phonon mean free path – enhances thermopower to colossal values. This paves the way for predictive design of new materials such as CoSbS or FeP2.
BIOGRAPHY
Prof. Cedomir Petrovic obtained his B. Sc. degree in Theoretical Physics from University of Belgrade, Serbia in 1996, and his Ph. D. degree in Physics from Florida State University, USA in 2000 under the supervision of Prof. Z. Fisk. As a part of the thesis works, he discovered the celebrated Ce115 families of heavy fermion superconductors. He joined the Brookhaven National Laboratory during 2002-2023, leading the exploratory materials/crystals growth and characterization group. Graduate students and postdocs mentored by him have established themselves in various parts of the world, contributing greatly to new materials discovery and crystal growth. He has held Humboldt Fellowship for Experienced Researchers 2011-2014, Foreign Associate Member of Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts since 2015, was elected to APS Fellow in 2016, and received the BNL Science and Technology Award in 2022.
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