3:30–4:30 pm Maria Goeppert-Mayer Lecture Hall - KPTC 106
Pathways to New States of Quantum Matter
Qimiao Si, Rice University
The quantum era is well underway, bringing with it a rapid expansion in both the scope and promise of research across a broad range of fields, from condensed matter and AMO physics to chemistry and information science. In this talk, subtitled “The Quantumness of Quantum Materials,” I will begin with a gentle introduction to the quantum world and, through the lenses of the wave-particle duality of electrons in solids, introduce the modern concepts of strong correlations and electronic topology.
I will then show how these two frameworks open a two-way road for discovering, designing and understanding novel states of quantum matter. Examples include strong correlations leading to a new type of topological metals, as well as topology-driven quantum fluctuations that nucleate unconventional superconductivity in “flat-band” systems. I will conclude with a perspective on the highly responsive nature of these systems and the opportunities this responsiveness presents for quantum functionality.