Robert J. Cava, Princeton University
Professor
Princeton, New Jersey
rcava@princeton.edu
Office:
(609) 258-0016
Bio/Research
In the Cava research group, we search for and synthesize new non-molecular inorganic solids, grow crystals of them, determine their crystal structures, and characterize their electronic and magnetic properties. Our goal is to find new compounds whose electronic and magnetic properties are interes...
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Bio/Research
In the Cava research group, we search for and synthesize new non-molecular inorganic solids, grow crystals of them, determine their crystal structures, and characterize their electronic and magnetic properties. Our goal is to find new compounds whose electronic and magnetic properties are interesting enough for them to be studied in detail by experts in materials physics worldwide. Our work concentrates very strongly in the chemistry of materials, but we also have to know something about the properties of matter and electronic structure theory to direct our searches for new compounds. Especially of interest to us are non-molecular inorganic compounds where we can hope to understand, in chemical terms, the relationships between the chemistry of bonding and crystal structure and the physics of magnetic and electronic properties.
After we identify and synthesize a new compound and make initial measurements of its properties, we report our results. Then we work closely with people in theoretical and experimental condensed matter physics at Princeton, Johns Hopkins University, and Brookhaven National Laboratory, and many other labs around the world, to provide them data, materials or crystals so that they can study the properties in more detail.
We direct our materials discovery activities by our interest in new superconductors, new thermoelectrics, new magnetoresistive materials, frustrated magnets, and topological insulators, but we keep our eyes open for other interesting properties as well.
In all cases, we employ the principles and synthetic and analytical methods of solid state chemistry to try to find new materials of interest. Our chemical tool set involves almost the whole periodic table, but we are especially interested in transition metal oxides, pnictides and chalcogenides. We use many methods to synthesize and grow crystals of our compounds. Our research philosophy has probably best been summarized by NIKE: "Just do it." Although almost all students and post-docs in the group are chemists, we always have postdoctoral fellows in the group who are PhD physicists.
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After we identify and synthesize a new compound and make initial measurements of its properties, we report our results. Then we work closely with people in theoretical and experimental condensed matter physics at Princeton, Johns Hopkins University, and Brookhaven National Laboratory, and many other labs around the world, to provide them data, materials or crystals so that they can study the properties in more detail.
We direct our materials discovery activities by our interest in new superconductors, new thermoelectrics, new magnetoresistive materials, frustrated magnets, and topological insulators, but we keep our eyes open for other interesting properties as well.
In all cases, we employ the principles and synthetic and analytical methods of solid state chemistry to try to find new materials of interest. Our chemical tool set involves almost the whole periodic table, but we are especially interested in transition metal oxides, pnictides and chalcogenides. We use many methods to synthesize and grow crystals of our compounds. Our research philosophy has probably best been summarized by NIKE: "Just do it." Although almost all students and post-docs in the group are chemists, we always have postdoctoral fellows in the group who are PhD physicists.
Click to Shrink <<