In this thesis, the results of four electronic transport studies of correlated electron systems performed under hydrostatic pressure, at low temperatures and in the presence of high magnetic fields are presented. Firstly, magnetoresistance and Hall effect measurements in Tl2Ba2CuO6+δ, an overdoped cuprate, are presented. At low magnetic fields, a comparison between the evolution of the in-plane transport properties with a suppression of the superconducting transition temperature tuned by both chemical doping and the application of hydrostatic pressure. At high magnetic fields and in a region of doping-temperature phase-space in which conventional transport theory has previously been deployed to accurately describe the transport properties of highly overdoped cuprates, a highly unconventional magnetoresistance has been revealed. Definitive evidence of two charge sectors is presented where the first is orbital in nature whilst the second is highly unconventional and likely incoherent. Secondly, a high-field Hall effect study of YBa2Cu3O7−x, an underdoped cuprate, is presented. The evolution of the superconducting transition temperature and the temperature at which the Hall coefficient changes sign, an indicator of a Fermi surface reconstruction due to the onset of charge order, are tracked as a function of hydrostatic pressure. The first is used as a measure of the strength of superconductivity whilst the second is used as a proxy for the strength of charge order. The implications with regard to the interplay or competition between the two phases are discussed. Thirdly, a comprehensive study is presented of the in-plane magnetoresistance under pressure of FeSe1−xSx with sulphur concentrations that span the nematic phase. Nematicity is suppressed with pressure. At the critical pressure Pc at which the nematic transition is suppressed to zero temperature (at the nematic QCP), the in-plane resistivity measured at 35T exhibits hallmarks of quantum criticality. Specifically, the high-field resistivity is highly linear down to lowest temperatures and a growing region of T2 behaviour is observed at lowest temperatures as P is increased beyond Pc. Finally, a quantum oscillation study of the nodal-line semi-metal ZrSiS has been performed under hydrostatic pressure. At ambient pressure, unconventional breakdown phenomena have been observed. Analysis of the Shubnikov de-Haas oscillations at both ambient and elevated pressures has been performed to elucidate the nature of the Fermi surface and the origin of the aforementioned breakdown phenomena.
Correlated Electron Systems Under Extreme Conditions: High Fields, High Pressures, Low Temperatures
Ayres, J. D. S. (Author). 29 Sept 2020
Student thesis: Doctoral Thesis › Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)