The Institute

The Division is studying phenomena in highly correlated electron systems, namely, those in which the localized f electrons interact strongly with the electrons from the conduction band. 

The head of the department is prof. dr. Piotr Wisniewski.

Research

• Thermodynamic and transport properties of strongly correlated electronic systems, determined by the hybridization of f-electron states with the conduction band.
•  Unconventional superconductivity and quantum critical phenomena.
• Topologically nontrivial electronic states and their impact on magneto-transport properties.
• The influence of quantum interference on the transport properties of systems with structural disorder.
• Characterization of the Fermi surface.

A direct consequence of the partial filling of the f shell is the possibility of localized of magnetic moments in the tested compounds and their spontaneous organization in a (usually very low) temperature. Interactions leading to the order areaccompanied by the interactions that destroy that order. The competition of these two processes results in the presence of a wide range of poorly studied physical phenomena such as the formation of superheavy quasiparticles (i. e. heavy fermions), unconventional superconductivity, or non-Fermi liquid behavior. A detailed description of these phenomena cannot be found in academic textbooks and their description is one of the major challenges of modern solid state physics.

The Division also specializes in experimental and theoretical studies of electron transport phenomena occurring in single crystals of lanthanum compounds and actinides. Among lanthanide compounds a lot of attention is paid to the ones in which the Kondo effect, splitting of the 4f states in the crystalline field as well as magnetic and quadrupole ordering have a visible impact on the properties of electronic transport. Of high interest are also regular LaMe₃ compounds as well as filled arsenide scutterudites arsenic - LaT₄As₁₂ (La - lanthanide; Me - Sn, Pb, In, Ga, T - Fe, Ru, Os). Arsenide scutterudites filled with a lanthanide have been obtained in the Division in the form of single crystals for the first time in the world. These arsenide scutterudites, like the previously studied by other authors filled phosphoride and antimonide scutterudites  (the so-called thermoelectric rattles), have a great wealth of physical properties that are the driving force behind the scientific and technological interest. Research of actinide compounds led the Division to detection of the existence of:

1. non-magnetic Kondo effect of structural defects in crystals, both diamagnetic thorium pnictochalcogenides and ferromagnetic uranium pnictochalcogenides
2. ferromagnetic semiconductor (Th_xU_1-x)₃As₄ with potentially interesting spintronic properties.

As one of the few in Poland,  for many years the Division has specialized in studies of NMR of nuclei of s, p and d-electron elements in alloys and intermetallic compounds. These hydrides and borides of transition metals and intermetallic compounds of these elements involving rare earth and uranium, are extremely important from the point of view of their practical applications. They show a great wealth of physical properties: from the semiconductor nature to magnetic, quadrupole ordering or heavy-fermion properties. It has been recently shown that the use of techniques of high-speed rotation at the magic angle (MAS) at the resonance of "heavy" nuclei ¹¹⁹Sn and ¹⁹⁵Pt allows to obtain multiplet structure of the spectra of resonant compounds TiPtSn and ZrPtSn, thereby detecting the effects of scalar and covalent nature of the chemical bonds in these compounds. On the other hand, studies using a "light" core ¹¹B in a number of borides: YB₄, YB₆, YB₁₂, ZrB₁₂, or 12 allowed to determine the size of components of the electric field gradient (GPE) tensor in boron atoms positions. These values have allowed to validate theoretical calculations of the electronic structure, which lay down the GPE tensor for these compounds.

Important publications

List of all scientific articles published by researchers from the Division of Magnetic Research can be accessed here:  BASE of KNOWLEDGE DMR.

 2025

• Sobota, P., Rusin, B., Gnida, D., Topolnicki, R., Ossowski, T., Nowak, W., Pikul, A., & Idczak, R. (2025). New type of Ti-rich HEA superconductors with high upper critical field. Acta Materialia, 285, 120666. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2024.120666

2024

• Szlawska, M., Majewicz, M., Wochowski, K., & Kaczorowski, D. (2024). Hunt for a Lifshitz point in single-crystalline UPd₂Si₂ . I. High magnetic fields. Physical Review B, 110, 014434. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.110.014434
• Szlawska, M., Majewicz, M., Ohashi, M., & Kaczorowski, D. (2024). Hunt for a Lifshitz point in single-crystalline UPd₂Si₂. II. High pressures. Physical Review B, 110, 014435. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.110.014435
• Sharlai, Y. V., Bochenek, L., Juraszek, J., Cichorek, T., & Mikitik, G. P. (2024). Magnetostriction of metals with small Fermi surface pockets: Case of the topologically trivial semimetal LuAs. Physical Review B, 109, 085144. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.109.085144
• Juraszek, J., Sharlai, Y. V., Konczykowski, M., Ślebarski, A., & Cichorek, T. (2024). Two-band superconductivity with weak interband coupling in structurally disordered Y₅Rh₆Sn₁₈. Physical Review B, 109, 174526. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.109.174526
• Gnida, D. (2024). Ineffectiveness of the triplet diffusion correction in the electron transport of disordered systems. Physical Review B, 110, 094201. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.110.094201
• Dan, S., Ptok, A., Pavlosiuk, O., Singh, K., Wiśniewski, P., & Kaczorowski, D. (2024). Insulating Half‐Heusler TmPdSb with Unusual Band Order and Metallic Surface States. Advanced Functional Materials, 34(37), 2402415. https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202402415
• Ślebarski, A., Fijałkowski, M., Deniszczyk, J., Maśka, M. M., & Kaczorowski, D. (2024). Off-stoichiometric effect on magnetic and electron transport properties of Fe₂VAl_1.35 and Ni₂VAl  Physical Review B, 109, 165105. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.109.165105
• Chajewski, G., & Kaczorowski, D. (2024). Discovery of Magnetic Phase Transitions in Heavy-Fermion Superconductor CeRh₂As₂. Physical Review Letters, 132, 076504. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.132.076504
• Singh, K., Pavlosiuk, O., Dan, S., Kaczorowski, D., & Wiśniewski, P. (2024). Large unconventional anomalous Hall effect arising from spin chirality within domain walls of an antiferromagnet EuZn₂Sb₂. Physical Review B, 109, 125107. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.109.125107
• Pasturel, M., & Pikul, A. (2024). From caged compounds with isolated U atoms to frustrated magnets with 2- or 3-atom clusters: a review of Al-rich uranium aluminides with transition metals. Reports on Progress in Physics, 87(3), 035101. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6633/ad218d
• Chajewski, G., Szymański, D., Daszkiewicz, M., & Kaczorowski, D. (2024). Horizontal flux growth as an efficient preparation method of CeRh₂As₂ single crystals. Materials Horizons, 11, 855–861. https://doi.org/10.1039/D3MH01351K
• Gnida, D., Szlawska, M., & Daszkiewicz, M. (2023). Multiple phase transitions and the effect of disorder in the locally noncentrosymmetric ferromagnet URhGe₂. Physical Review B, 108, 235174. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.108.235174

2023

• Nowakowska, P., Pavlosiuk, O., Wiśniewski, P., & Kaczorowski, D. (2023). Temperature-dependent Fermi surface probed by Shubnikov–de Haas oscillations in topological semimetal candidates DyBi and HoBi. Scientific Reports, 13, 22776. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-49941-1
• Singh, K., Dan, S., Ptok, A., Zaleski, T. A., Pavlosiuk, O., Wiśniewski, P., & Kaczorowski, D. (2023). Superexchange interaction in insulating EuZn₂P₂. Physical Review B, 108, 054402. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.108.054402
• Wilcox, J. A., Grant, M. J., Malone, L., Putzke, C., Kaczorowski, D., Wolf, T., Hardy, F., Meingast, C., Analytis, J. G., Chu, J.-H., Fisher, I. R., & Carrington, A. (2022). Observation of the non-linear Meissner effect. Nature Communications, 13, 1201. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-28790-y

2022

• Pavlosiuk, O., Swatek, P. W., Wang, J.-P., Wiśniewski, P., & Kaczorowski, D. (2022). Giant magnetoresistance, Fermi-surface topology, Shoenberg effect, and vanishing quantum oscillations in the type-II Dirac semimetal candidates MoSi₂ and WSi₂. Physical Review B, 105(7), 075141. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.105.075141
• Cichorek, T., Bochenek, Ł., Juraszek, J., Sharlai, Y. V, & Mikitik, G. P. (2022). Detection of relativistic fermions in Weyl semimetal TaAs by magnetostriction measurements. Nature Communications, 13, 3868. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-31321-4
• Pikul, A., Szlawska, M., Ding, X., Sznajd, J., Ohashi, M., Kowalska, D., Pasturel, M., & Gofryk, K. (2022). Competition of magnetocrystalline anisotropy of uranium layers and zigzag chains in UNi_0.34Ge₂ single crystals. Physical Review Materials, 6(10).104408 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevMaterials.6.104408

2021

• Ishihara, K., Takenaka, T., Miao, Y., Mizukami, Y., Hashimoto, K., Yamashita, M., Konczykowski, M., Masuki, R., Hirayama, M., Nomoto, T., Arita, R., Pavlosiuk, O., Wiśniewski, P., Kaczorowski, D., & Shibauchi, T. (2021). Tuning the Parity Mixing of Singlet-Septet Pairing in a Half-Heusler Superconductor. Physical Review X, 11(4), 041048. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.11.041048
• Pavlosiuk, O., Jezierski, A., Kaczorowski, D., & Wiśniewski, P. (2021). Magnetotransport signatures of chiral magnetic anomaly in the half-Heusler phase ScPtBi. Physical Review B, 103, 205127. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.103.205127

Apparatus

Materials synthesis and processing

• MBRAUN 130 LABMASTER glove boxes with ultra-pure argon atmosphere and accurately monitored residual content of oxygen and water vapors (<0.1 ppm).
• Planetary ball mill RETSCH PM 100 for grinding, mixing, and homogenizing materials.
• Furnaces (for single crystal growth and thermal treatment of samples):
  • GES Corp. tetra-arc Czochralski furnace for single crystal growth using the Czochralski method,
  • Graphitic furnace for growing single crystals by mineralization method in temperatures up to 2400°C,
  • Hünger induction furnace, coupled with a pyrometer and programmable temperature controller, to melt metals at a precisely controlled temperature,
  • Muffle furnaces, with programmable temperature controllers and a maximum operating temperature of 1300 °C,
  • Tube furnaces, with programmable temperature controllers and a maximum operating temperature of 1300 °C, both in horizontal (one- or two-zone) and vertical (one-zone) configurations
  • Pressure chambers for preparation of single crystals under a pressure of up to 60 atm. and at temperatures up to 900°C

Laue diffractometry and optical imaging

• Proto Laue Single-Crystal Orientation System for determination of orientation and quality of single crystalline samples,
• Leica M125 C stereo microscope equipped with Flexacam c5 camera for high-resolution optical imaging.

Low-temperature physical properties measurements

• Two Quantum Design Physical Property Measurement System setups (with 9 T or 14 T magnet) for the study of a wide range of physical properties of materials under controlled temperature (1.9 K to 400 K) and magnetic fields (up to ±14 T). Available measurement options:
  • Heat capacity
  • Magnetic Torque
  • Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM)
  • AC Transport / Electrical Transport Option, for measurements of e.g.:
    • electrical resistance,
    • Hall coefficient,
    • critical current in superconductors,
    • current-voltage characteristics of semiconductors.
  • Thermal Transport Option, enabling simultaneous measurement of:
    • Thermal conductivity,
    • Seebeck coefficient,
    • Electrical resistivity,
    • Figure of merit (ZT).
  • Low-temperature inserts, allowing to lower the temperature limits of experiments (compatible with heat capacity and electrical transport option only):
    • ³He insert (0.35 - 350 K)
    • ³He-⁴He Dilution Refrigerator (0.05 – 4 K)
  • Additional modules:
    • Pressure cell - for measurements of electrical transport under applied pressure,
    • Horizontal rotator – enables electrical transport measurements in different orientations with respect to the magnetic field direction,
    • Vertical puck adapter – allows to use of the heat capacity or electrical transport pucks in the vertical orientation (perpendicular to the typical one).

• Quantum Design Magnetic Property Measurement System XL7 SQUID Magnetometer for highly-sensitive measurements of magnetic properties of materials across a wide range of temperatures (1.8 K to 400 K) and with precise control of applied magnetic fields, up to 7 T. The system can be equipped with optional modules:
  • Horizontal or vertical rotator – allowing for changing the sample orientation during the measurement,
  • Pressure cell – for conducting the measurements under applied pressure,
  • ³He insert - lowering the low-temperature limit of experiments down to 0.47 K.

High-temperature physical characterization

• DTA Netzsch Jupiter 3 thermal analyzer with a thermobalance and a tungsten furnace for simultaneous differential thermal (DTA) and thermogravimetric (TGA) analyses at temperatures ranging from - 20°C to 2400°C,
• Linseis LSR-3 for simultaneous measurements of the Seebeck coefficient and electrical resistivity of solid samples across a broad temperature range, from -100°C to 1500°C.

 

Highly specialized laboratories

• The Laboratory of Low-Temperature Physics is equipped with cryogenic systems and measurement setups allowing for studying magnetic, transport, and thermodynamic properties of materials at ultra-low temperatures (down to 7 mK) and in high magnetic fields (up to 16 T). The laboratory specializes in precise magnetostriction and micro-Hall probe local magnetization measurements.
• The Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) Laboratory specializes in the synthesis of high-quality thin films and nanostructured materials using the PLD technique, employing a high-power pulsed laser beam to ablate material from a target and creating a plasma plume that deposits onto a substrate.
• The Mössbauer Spectroscopy Laboratory specializes in studying the properties of materials using the Mössbauer effect on a ⁵⁷Fe isotope. This technique allows for precise analysis of the nuclear interactions in materials, providing insights into their chemical, magnetic, and structural properties. (The laboratory is currently out of operation due to lack of a radioactive source.)

Staff