Thermal transport in low dimensional quantum spin systems: scattering processes for magnetic excitations

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Christian Hemker-Heß
• Subject Area: Experimental Condensed Matter Physics
• Term: from 2006 to 2011
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 30429210

Studying transport properties provides important information about mobility, scattering and dissipation of excitations in solids. This is well established for both electronic excitations (which are the basis of modern microelectronics) and lattice vibrations (phonons). However, surprisingly large magnetic thermal conductivities have recently been discovered in low dimensional quantum spin systems, which allow the investigation of magnetic excitations using transport properties up to high temperatures (room temperature and above). Despite their high relevance in basic and applied contemporary research (e.g. in ¿spintronics¿), little is known about the transport properties and the scattering mechanisms of these magnetic excitations. Our project therefore aims to carry out an experimental investigation of the magnetic thermal conductivity of various low dimensional quantum spin systems. The thermal conductivity will thereby be used as a probe for the most relevant scattering mechanisms. In particular we will systematically study the interaction of magnetic excitations with defects, charge carriers, phonons and other magnetic excitations.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Participating Person: Professor Dr. Bernd Büchner