Ordering in Quantum Materials

Charge, Orbital and Magnetic Ordering

Headed by Professor P. G. Radaelli, this research group studies microscopic long-range ordering of electrons in quantum materials. This ordering gives rise to macroscopic properties, such as the switching of electric polarisation by applied magnetic fields, which are important in the development of new functional materials for use in future technology.

Typically we study transition metal oxides, which exhibit a huge range of electronic ordering phenomena ranging from orbital switching in bilayer manganites to high temperature superconductivity in the cuprates. At the Clarendon Laboratory, we have access to a wealth of in-house facilities with which we discover and characterise new bulk properties of new materials.

We specialise in both x-ray and neutron diffraction experiments performed at national, and international, central facilities. These experiments probe the microscopic electronic order, allowing us to determine the physical origin of the bulk properties measured in-house. The knowledge gained then allows for the design and prediction of other ordered quantum materials that may display even more exciting electronic behaviour.