DEMETER-HP

The DEMETER-HP Laboratory is part of the DEtector & Matter at Extremes TEst and Research (DEMETER) Center, which works on new detector and high-pressure technology that will allow us to fully exploit the novel high-intensity muon beam (HIMB) target that is currently being implemented at the Paul Scherrer Institute to upgrade the Swiss Muon Source, SµS. HIMB in combination with the R&D carried out in DEMETER will allow for substantial advancements in particle physics as well as in material science with muons. 

For more details on the background see here:  DEMETER

In DEMETER-HP, our objective is to develop novel uniaxial and hydrostatic pressure equipment and methodology that improves the high-pressure capabilities for muon spin spectroscopy (μSR), surpassing the world-leading state-of-the-art available at the GPD instrument at the Swiss Muon Source, SµS, at the Paul Scherrer Institute. Notably, the 100-fold increase in muon rate produces by the new High Intensity Muon Beam target to be installed at PSI, in combination with the virtual muon beam-spot size reduction due to the development of a pixel-detectors, which is part of the detector part of DEMETER, will allow us to employ much smaller samples for µSR experiments. With beam spots going from diameters of about 10 mm down to about 1 mm, will theoretically allow a 10-fold increase in maximum pressure. The aim is to develop a bespoke diamond anvil cells instead of the currently used piston cylinder cells. Similar gains can be expected for uniaxial pressure cells.

To work on these goals we are currently installing a new high-presure lab in Y36-H-34 that will allow us to test new pressure cells, and also characterize the the high-pressure response of quantum materials using bulk measurements.  Through this new high-pressure laboratory, we will also contribute to the technical developments for the new NCCR Muoniverse by collaboratiung with our partners at the PSI Center for Neutron and Muon Sciences.

Our group has long-standing expertise in carrying out neutron and X-ray scattering experiments, as well as muon spectroscopy studies, at the extremes of high pressure.  In addition, we also have experience designing novel high-pressure cells both for unaxial and hydrostatic pressure.  For example, jointly with scientists at the PSI Center for Neutron and Muon Sciences , we are working on the ExtremeP project funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation to develop a new generation of high-pressure cells for neutron scattering and muon spin spectroscopy. ExtremeP will enable the combined user community of both fa-cilities to carry out complementary neutron scattering and muon spin rotation (µSR) experi-ments on quantum materials at hydrostatic pressure conditions of up to 8 GPa—an increase of nearly a factor 3. 

Similarly, collaborating with theChang group, we have worked on both ex- and in-situ unaxial pressure cells for photon and neutron science facilities to surgically tune quantum materials through various exotics states. 

Key Publications from this research:

1. Designing the stripe-ordered cuprate phase diagram through uniaxial-stress, PNAS 121, e2303423120 , Z. Guguchia, D. Das, G. Simutis, T. Adachi, J. Küspert, N. Kitajima, M. Elender, V. Grinenko, O. Ivashko, M.v. Zimmermann, M. Müller, C. Mielke III, F. Hotz, C. Mudry, C. Baines, M. Bartkowiak, T. Shiroka, Y. Koike, A. Amato, C.W. Hicks, G.D. Gu, J.M. Tranquada, H.-H. Klauss, J.J. Chang, M. Janoschek, and H. Luetkens
2. In-situ uniaxial pressure cell for X-ray and neutron scattering experiments ,  Review of Scientific Instruments 94, 013906 (2023), G. Simutis, A. Bollhalder, M. Zolliker, J. Küspert, Q. Wang, D. Das, F. Van Leeuwen, O. Ivashko, O. Gutowski, J. Philippe, T. Kracht, P. Glaevecke, T. Adachi, M. Von Zimmermann, S. Van Petegem, H. Luetkens, Z. Guguchia, J. Chang, Y. Sassa, M. Bartkowiak, and M. Janoschek
3. Disentangling Intertwined Quantum States in a Prototypical Cuprate Superconductor,  Phys. Rev. Lett. 128, 207002 (2022), J. Choi, Q. Wang, S. Jöhr, N. B. Christensen, J. Küspert, D. Bucher, D. Biscette, M. Hücker, T. Kurosawa, N. Momono, M. Oda, O. Ivashko, M. v. Zimmermann, M. Janoschek, and J. Chang.
4. Uniaxial pressure induced stripe order rotation in La_1.88Sr_0.12CuO₄,  Nat. Comm. 13, 1795 (2022), Q. Wang, K. von Arx, D. Mazzone, S. Mustafi, M. Horio, J. Küspert, J. Choi, D. Bucher, H. Wo, J. Zhao, W. Zhang, T. C. Asmara , Y. Sassa, M. Mansson, N.B. Christensen, M. Janoschek, T. Kurosawa, N. Momono, M. Oda, M. Fischer, T. Schmitt, and J. Chang.

At the UZH Department of Physics

• Laboratory for Quantum Matter Research (Johan Chang)

• Quantum Materials and Sensing Lab (Fabian Natterer)

At the PSI Center for Neutron and Muon Sciences

• The Bulk µSR Group in the Laboratory for Muon Spin Spectroscopy (LMU) , which runs a world-leading high-pressure µSR program at SµS
• The Sample Environment Group in the Laboratory for Neutron and Muon Instrumentation, which concentrates long-standing expertise in designing, building and operating sample environment such as high-pressure cells for large-scale research facilities.

For more information on DEMETER-HP please contact:

• Iza-Bialo (DEMETER-HP postdoctoral fellow)
• André Rüegg (DEMETER technician)
• Marc Janoschek (PI)