A lot of physical properties of metals are caused by the behaviour of electrons close to the Fermi energy. The Fermi energy of a metal is the highest energy state that is occupied by an electron at a temperature of zero Kelvin. The Fermi surface is the constant energy surface at the Fermi energy in momentum space where the electrons are allowed to reside. The shape of the Fermi surface influences many physical properties, such as the formation of spin- or charge density waves, or the formation of heavy electrons or superconductivity.
In the High Field Magnet Laboratory in Nijmegen we studied the Fermi surface of several f- and d-electron metals with quantum oscillation experiments at low temperatures and high magnetic fields. From the experiments we can only obtain information about the size of the Fermi surface (perpendicular to the applied magnetic field) and not directly about its shape. Therefore, we complimented the experimental results with density functional theory (DFT) calculations to increase our understanding of the Fermi surface.
Roos Leenen studied physics at the Radboud University and focussed on solid state physics. After her Master internship at the High Field Magnet Laboratory in Nijmegen, she started her PhD project there under the supervision of Alix McCollam. Her promotors are Alix McCollam and Uli Zeitler.