Genesis
The research in the High-pressure physics area is a fast growing and fascinating discipline of science and technology that unravel many truth and facts, which are not possible in ambient or atmospheric pressure. There has been a tremendous progress in High-pressure science during the last few decades. It has been recognized as one of the powerful tools to investigate the physical properties of solids because physical parameters can be varied cleanly by applying pressure without introducing disorder in the sample, but only through the contraction of its lattice constants. Moreover, it is a direct and effective means to manipulate the behavior of electrons and could provide valuable information on magnetic and electronic properties of strongly correlated systems.
The major focus of this centre is to study the physical properties of condensed matters under extreme conditions such as low temperature, high pressure combined with high magnetic field. Under these conditions, novel phenomena and new concepts can be simulated in strongly correlated electron systems of different dimensionality. Discoveries of such phenomena have often opened up new horizons in materials science. Thus high pressure technique combined with other external parameters such as temperature or magnetic field has proved to be efficient to probe the fundamental problems in strongly correlated electron systems.
The main objective of this Centre is to cover wide spectra of condensed matter physics and materials science including manganites, High temperature superconductors, Iron based superconductors, Diluted magnetic semiconductors, Organic conductors, magnetocaloric effect materials and Heavy Fermion materials etc.
History of the Centre
The High Pressure Low Temperature Laboratory was established with financial support from AICTE, TWAS, BRNS, DST-DAAD-PPP and CSIR during 2001-2007. During this period, the founder Dr. S. Arumugam has developed indigenous instruments such as 1) A simple uniaxial pressure device for electrical resistivity measurements suitable for closed cycle refrigerator system, 2) A simple uniaxial pressure device for ac-susceptibility measurements suitable for closed cycle refrigerator system 3) A DC-SQUID vibrating coil magnetometer for the magnetic measurements of extremely small volume of samples and 4) A simple uniaxial pressure device for electrical resistivity measurements suitable for 17 Tesla superconducting magnet system at Institute for Solid State Research, Dresden, Germany under DST-DAAD-PPP project. The uniaxial pressure and DC SQUID VCM devices that were developed here are not commercially available.
As recognition of the work carried out at High Pressure Low temperature Lab, the Department of Science and Technology has sanctioned an amount of Rs.2.35 Crores for establishing the "High Pressure Low Temperature and High Magnetic field facilities" at Bharathidasan University in January 2008. In appreciation of the contributions made by this group under the leadership of Prof. S.Arumugam, the Former Honorable Vice-Chancellor Prof. M. Ponnavaikko has approved the proposal for the establishment of an exclusive centre "Centre for High Pressure Research" (CHPR) in the Bharathidasan University.
This centre is first of its kind in India for high pressure research equipped with high-tech facilities and is inaugurated by Prof. T. Ramasamy, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi in the presence of Former Honourable Vice Chancellor Prof. M. Ponnavaikko. Some of the facilities available in this centre are:
- 9T Physical Property Measurement System (2K -400K) with Helium Reliquifier
- Vibrating Sample Magnetometer
- Indigenous Pressure cells (0-8GPa) for various measurements
- Closed Cycle Refrigerator System with Variable Temperature Insert (4K -800K)
- Closed Cycle Refrigerator System (10K-300K)
Mission
The primary mission of CHPR is to conduct basic research in frontiers of condensed matter physics under extreme conditions and to promote exchange and collaborative activities among those who are professionally engaged in scientific research. The present Vice-Chancellor is supporting all possible ways for strengthening activities of the Centre for High Pressure Research.
Vision
- To establish high pressure, low temperature and high magnetic field facility to carryout electrical resistivity, magnetization, thermo power and specific heat measurements under low temperature (100mK), high magnetic field (15T) and hydrostatic pressure (8 GPa).
- To develop palm type cubic anvil system with dilution refrigerator and integration of the 15T cryogen free superconducting magnet to do electrical resistivity and specific heat measurements down to 100mK and upto 8GPa.
- To develop magnetization measurement facility under hydrostatic pressure of 20 GPa using ultra diamond anvil cell down to 2K.
- To establish Traveling Solvent Floating Zone Crystal growth facility and train youngsters to grow various single crystals such as iron based super conductors, colossal Magnetoresistance materials, diluted magnetic semiconductors, multiferroics, magneto caloric effect materials and various strongly correlated low dimensional system.
- To establish a wide range of user facilities and services for high pressure related research at the frontier areas of science. These facilities are open to all researchers and to provide vibrant academic ambience towards high pressure and low temperature physics.
- The Centre for High Pressure Research is expected to act as a focal point for Research & Development with periodic training in the area of High Pressure and Low Temperature Physics in the field of Cryogenics, low temperature instrumentation, high pressure experimental techniques, magnetic and transport measurements.
- To organize international Workshops and Seminars to showcase the importance of:
1. High pressure research for the young researchers and to inspire them to work on recent trends and to explore the unraveled facts in the Science & Technology
2. To form a core group and to establish International Centre for High Pressure Research and to provide the state-of-the-art facilities in High Pressure research