We study materials with strong quantum correlations, with emphasis on unconventional superconductors. We employ a broad range of experimental techniques, including nuclear magnetic resonance, neutron and X-ray scattering and low-frequency optical spectroscopy.

The group is primarily funded by the Croatian Science Foundation through grant no. UIP-2020-02-9494.


Members

PI: Damjan Pelc

 

PhD students:

Marin Spaić

Noah Somun

Luka Rogić

 

Undergraduates:

Ruža Domić


Positions

Currently no open positions


Publications

R. Osborn et al., Diffuse scattering from correlated electron systemsSci. Adv. 11, eadt7770 (2025)

A. Najev et al., Electronic spin susceptibility in metallic strontium titanate. npj Quant. Mater. 10, 4 (2025)

Z. W. Anderson et al., Nanoscale structural correlations in a model cuprate superconductor. Phys. Rev. B 110, 214519 (2024) (Editor's suggestion)

I. Khayr et al., Structural properties of plastically deformed SrTiO3 and KTaO3Phys. Rev. Materials 8, 124404 (2024)

X. Wang et al., Multiferroicity in plastically deformed SrTiO3Nat. Commun. 15, 7442 (2024)

A. Najev et al., Magnetic resonance study of rare-earth titanatesPhys. Rev. B 109, 174406 (2024) (Editor's suggestion)

S. Griffitt et al., Local inversion-symmetry breaking in a bismuthate high-Tc superconductor. Nat. Commun. 14, 845 (2023)

D. Pelc et al., Unconventional short-range structural fluctuations in cuprate superconductors. Sci. Rep. 12, 20483 (2022)

A. Najev et al., Uniaxial strain control of bulk ferromagnetism in rare-earth titanatesPhys. Rev. Lett. 128, 167201 (2022)

S. Hameed et al., Enhanced superconductivity and ferroelectric quantum criticality in plastically deformed strontium titanateNat. Mater. 21, 54 (2022)

Associated Nature Portfolio Devices & Engineering Community blog post


Collaborations & Facilities

Department of Physics NMR lab 

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University of Minnesota Center for Quantum Materials

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Homepage - Superpuddles-Lab

IFW Dresden

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Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Oak Ridge National Laboratory Neutron Sciences

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Data acquisition, handling, and analysis at the Advanced Photon Source

Argonne National Laboratory Advanced Photon Source


News

 

With collaborators in Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Minnesota, USA, Damjan Pelc has published a review on recent advances in diffuse scattering investigations of materials with strong electronic correlations. The paper describes state-of-the-art instrumentation and numerical approaches that have enabled unprecedented insight into nanoscale inhomogeneity in a diverse range of materials, from high-temperature superconductors to quantum spin liquids. The paper is available here.

 

Author: Damjan Pelc

With collaborators at Bar Ilan University and Ariel University (Israel), University of Minnesota and University of Connecticut (USA), Luka Rogić and Damjan Pelc have published a paper in Nature Communications on emergent magnetism and multiferroicity in plastically deformed strontium titanate. The work uses scanning micro-SQUID as the primary technique to explore novel magnetism related to deformation-induced dislocation structures. The paper is available here.

Author: Damjan Pelc

With collaborators at the University of Minnesota and Argonne National Laboratory, USA, Marin Spaić and Damjan Pelc have published a paper on the local structure of bismuthate superconductors in Nature Communications. The work uses diffuse x-ray scattering and Monte Carlo modeling to uncover unexpected local structural distortions that break inversion symmetry, with far-reaching implications for the physics of bismuthates. The paper is available here

Author: Damjan Pelc

ORNL’s Top 10 Science Achievements at SNS and HFIR of 2022The work published in our recent Nature Materials paper was listed as one of the top ten scientific results achieved in 2022 using the neutron scattering facilities at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. See full list and descriptions here.

 

 

Author: Damjan Pelc

Vendors Description

The work described in the recent Nature Materials paper on plastically deformed strontium  titanate was featured in a Science Highlight of the Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory. The full text is available here.

 

Author: Damjan Pelc

 

Sylvia Griffitt from the University of Minnesota, USA, visits the group for a tree-month research stay. Sylvia is working on NMR of superconducting bismuthates, infrared spectroscopy and high-temperature plastic deformation.

 

Author: Damjan Pelc

 With colaborators at the University of Minnesota, Ariel University (Israel), Argonne National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Peking University, Damjan Pelc has published a paper in Nature Materials on the effects of irreversible, plastic deformation on the electronic properties of the model quantum material strontium titanate. The paper is available here, along with an associated News & Views

Author: Damjan Pelc