Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/R16075/01
Title:	Infrared Studies of Organic Molecular Metals Under Hydrostatic Pressure
Principal Investigator:	Klehe, Dr A
Other Investigators:	Hayes, Dr W Singleton, Dr J
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:	Subatomic Research Inst Strasbourg IRES
Department:	Oxford Physics
Organisation:	University of Oxford
Scheme:	Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts:	01 February 2001	Ends:	31 July 2004	Value (£):	167,373
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Materials Characterisation
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Electronics
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
The nature of the interactions responsible for superconductivity in organic molecular metals is currently one of the most hotly debated questions in the field of electron systems. Many organic superconductors exhibit the same generic temperature-pressure phase diagram as the cuprate or heavy fermion superconductors, indicating a common mechanism in all of these systems, Organic superconductors are frequently considered model systems as their Fermi surfaces can be easily calculated as well as experimentally determined. Infrared (IR) measurements at ambient pressure form an established tool for initial characterisation of organic superconductors, revealing bare bandstructure parameters, phonon modes and electron correlations. By investigating the IR spectra of organic superconductors as a function of pressure, we can study the development of these effects (and the consequent superconductivity) in a much more controlled manner by reducing the intermolecular separation, and hence increasing the electronic bandwidth. The large compressibility of organic molecular metals requires a system in which the pressure must be fully hydrostatic, and regulated and determined very accurately. For this purpose we intend to develop an optical gas pressure cell suitable for IR measurements in a large frequency (100-20.000cm.1), pressure (P<1.4 GPa) and temperature range (T> 2K). The bare bandstructure parameters obtained in this way will be compared with Fermi-surface topology and effective mass information from complementary magnetotransport measurements under pressure. Five organic superconductors have been selected for these studies in order to examine particular aspects of proposed mechanisms for superconductivity.
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