The traditional approach to new materials discovery and optimization emphasizes perfect crystallinity, minimization of disorder, and the avoidance of complex symmetries, structures, and chemical compositions. High entropy materials, however, embrace a random multi-element solid solution distribution with large configurational entropy to dominate the enthalpy of formation, leading to optimized materials properties.

This project aims to develop a new subfield, High Entropy Quantum Materials (HEQMs), to elucidate the potential of configurational entropy for expanding the landscape of quantum phenomena. Utilizing the power of configurational disorder in stabilizing exotic phases of matter, this research will explore several benchmark platforms where configurational entropy is utilized to tune magnetic, topological and correlated electron phases to establish new entropy-function relationships hitherto unrealized in a vast landscape of materials systems. In parallel, this project will have a major impact on the training of undergraduates, graduate students, and post-doctoral associates in synthesis and characterization of materials at the cutting edge of science and technology, and foster interaction of researchers from several different science and engineering disciplines at our universities and national laboratory institutions, and collaborative partnerships around the world.

Bringing in both high-throughput synthesis and characterization, solid state chemistry and the computational framework of the AFLOW repository, the activities of this project will integrate experiments, computation and data-driven methods with interdisciplinary collaboration to establish the HEQM landscape as a potential new frontier for the Materials Genome Initiative.