Laboratory of Phase Transitions

 Principal lines of investigations

·  Pressure induced quantum phase transitions

·  Low temperature magnetism and superconductivity, unconventional superconductivity, heavy fermions

·  Thermodynamic properties of substances in at high pressure

 Basic equipment:

·  Helium gas high pressure installation and cryostat for studies of various properties of substances at hydrostatic pressures to 1.5 GPa and low temperatures down to 1.5 K. 

·  Miniature clamped toroidal anvil cell supplied with a liquid-filled capsule for studies of electrical, magnetic and thermodynamical properties of materials at hydrostatic pressures up to 6 GPa and temperatures down to 1.1 K.

·  Installation for studies of thermodynamic properties of materials in the range 0-3GPa, 300-650K by the adiabatic pressure pulse technique.

·  Hydraulic presses (30-500 ton), liquid compressors, piston-cylinder and toroid devices for various high pressure applications.

Most important results:

 ·  Discovery of superconductivity in boron-doped diamond synthesized at high pressure

·  Observation of unconventional superconductivity in a heavy fermion material Ce2RhIn8 near antiferromagnetic quantum critical point at high pressure with Tc = 2.2K that is order of magnitude higher than Tc’s of other known materials with magnetically mediated superconductivity.

·  Revelation a bridge between physics of HTSC cuprates and unconventional heavy fermion superconductors at studying of low temperature P-T phase diagram of CeCoIn5