Research Networks
The Distributed Center for Heavy Electron Materials (DCHEM)
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DCHEM will not be limited by geographic boundaries, as it uses the latest networking and communication tools to bring together a materials research community with a world-class track record of accomplishment and collaboration in heavy electron and other advanced materials. Physically located at 14 leading research institutions, their ability to create a “distributed” Center is built on their experience in inter-institutional collaboration gained through recent activities on heavy electron physics and superconductivity carried out through ICAM, the Institute for Complex Adaptive Matter (http://www.icam-i2cam.org).
The fundamental driver for DCHEM research is materials exploration and refinement. The fundamental synergy that this strong team effort brings to DCHEM is the closed loop of synthesis, in-depth investigation of the new phases and their relationships using state of the art probes, and the subsequent refinement and extension of materials motifs. The availability of novel high quality materials spanning the full range of heavy electron behaviors, and the promise for discovering new generations of materials with exciting new properties, is the single most important asset of DCHEM. Moreover, by providing graduate and postdoctoral training in materials synthesis, it will address an increasingly recognized national need.
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