Profil

Novel materials with strongly correlated electrons offer a fascinating potential for future generations of electronic devices. This situation is comparable to the development of semiconducting materials some fifty years ago. The electrons in elemental semiconductors like Si or Ge behave essentially as independent particles. However, independent-particle behavior by itself does not induce functionalities. Nevertheless, by adding inhomogeneities, defects, and interfaces to these semiconductors it was possible to conceive and realize a large number of devices. This process was of key importance for the invention of most semiconducting devices known today.

The Transregio will build on four important developments that have been initiated in recent years:

* the progress in sample fabrication that now allows to grow bulk materials in high quality, homogeneous and inhomogeneous, as well as epitaxial heterostructures of complex oxides,

* the development of incisive, new instrumentation,

* the development of an improved theoretical understanding of homogeneous correlated electron systems, driven by the advancements of analytical and numerical tools, and

* the discovery and exploration of (multi-)functionalities of correlated electronic systems.