Research Symposium

BIO

Piper Bourne is a freshman majoring in Physics and a member of the Honors Program at Florida State University. She is actively involved in the Society of Physics Students and is currently engaged in research related to condensed matter physics. Her academic interests lie in exploring the principles of physics through both coursework and hands-on research.

Growth and Characterization of PrBiTe Crystals

Abstract

A major problem in modern technology is the volume of transistors and computers chips that are currently being used, more specifically the wires in these devices. Alternatives to the current wires are high-mobility materials. High-mobility materials can be used for many applications in these devices by utilizing their low resistivity and small Joule heating. A known type of high-mobility material is Dirac materials, whose band dispersion is linear in contrast to a quadratic dispersion in normal materials. In this project, we grew a new Dirac material PrBiTe, whose linear band dispersion is confirmed by the band structure calculation. The crystalline structure and stoichiometric composition were investigated via X-ray diffraction and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, indicating high crystallinity and precise stoichiometry. Preliminary transport measurements reveal linear magnetoresistivity, and seemingly the coexistence between light and heavier electrons confirming the Dirac nature of the compound. The resistivity measured at T = 300 K shows a low value of 10.25 mΩ cm, which could indeed be useful as a low resistivity material for interconnects.

Keywords: Physics, Dirac Materials, Condensed Matter