Condensed Matter

Condensed matter physics is concerned with understanding and utilizing all types of physical properties of materials in their solid and liquid phases. Many phenomena observed in condensed matter are universal and can find analogies in other physical systems such as high-density ultracold gases. Condensed matter researchers are striving to uncover the simple yet fundamental physical principles underpinning the often complex and collective behaviour that emerges from the mutual interaction among many atoms. The importance of novel materials to present and future technologies drives a large amount of applied research in the field.

SBQMI: Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute

The Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute (SBQMI) is UBC’s venture into research of materials and phenomena explicitly involving quantum mechanics. The main research thrust is focused on Quantum Materials, whose physical properties – as a direct manifestation of many-body quantum-mechanical interactions – embody the central unresolved questions challenging the field of modern condensed matter physics.

Quantum Materials exhibit a wide range of scientifically fascinating and technologically important phenomena, including high-temperature superconductivity, colossal magnetoresistance, topological effects, myriad forms of magnetism and ferroelectricity. Devices fabricated from quantum materials are driving technological advances that hold enormous potential to revolutionize consumer electronics, telecommunications, renewable energy, and next-generation computing. SBQMI offers competitive and generous stipends for graduate students through its QuEST program.

Research topics in SBQMI are grouped around five themes:

Atomic level design of novel quantum materials
Emergent electronic phenomena at interfaces
Topologically protected quantum states
Photonic manipulation of quantum states
Novel materials for sustainable energy

Some experimental techniques employed by SBQMI researchers are illustrated below:

(Image courtesy of Christopher Gutierrez)

Faculty Engaged: Condensed Matter

Name	Position	Research
Mona Berciu	Professor, Condensed Matter	Research Website Research Field: Strongly correlated systems Topics Include: polarons, bipolarons, correlated electrons, spintronics, magnetic and transport properties
Douglas Bonn	Professor, Condensed Matter	Research Website Research Field: Superconductivity Topics Include: high temperature superconductors, microwave measurements, crystal growth, scanning tunneling microscopy
Sarah Burke	Associate Professor, Condensed Matter	Research Website Topics Include: Scanning probe microscopy, organic materials, nanoscale materials, surface physics, photovoltaics
Andrea Damascelli	Professor, Condensed Matter	Research Website Research Field: Electronic Structure of Quantum Materials Topics Include: Strongly correlated electron systems, low-dimensional systems and nanostructures, transition-metal oxides, metal-insulator transition, magnetism, orbital ordering, high-Tc superconductivity
Joshua Folk	Associate Professor, Condensed Matter	Research Field: Quantum Physics in Nanostructures Topics Include: spin in semiconductor nanostructures, quantum decoherence, quantum Hall effect, graphene
Marcel Franz	Professor, Condensed Matter	Research Website
Alannah Hallas	Assistant Professor, Condensed Matter	https://hallas.phas.ubc.ca/ Research Field: Experimental studies of quantum materials, crystal growth, neutron scattering, muon spin relaxation Topics Include: Design and crystal growth of new quantum materials, Structural and magnetic properties of high entropy oxides, Magnetic frustration in the local to itinerant crossover, Multipolar interactions in rare earth magnets, Topological semimetals with strong spin-orbit coupling
David Jones	Professor, Atomic, Molecular & Optical Physics	Research Website Research Field: Atomic, Optical and Molecular Physics Topics Include: Femtosecond Frequency Combs, XUV Spectroscopy, Precision Spectroscopy
Robert Kiefl	Professor, Condensed Matter	Research Website
Andrzej Kotlicki	Term Faculty Member, Applied Physics	Research Website Research Field: Applied Optics/Accoustics/Outreach
Kirk Madison	Associate Professor, Condensed Matter	Research Website Research Field: Condensed Matter + Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics (AMO),Ultra-cold atomic and molecular gases Topics Include: laser cooling and trapping
Andrew Potter	Assistant Professor, Condensed Matter	Group Website
Joerg Rottler	Professor, Condensed Matter	Research Website Research Field: Condensed Matter/Computational Physics, Soft Condensed Matter Topics Include: Nonequilibrium statistical physics, polymer science, deformation and flow of disordered solids, nanoscale transport phenomena, computational materials physics
George Sawatzky	Professor, Condensed Matter	Research Website
Philip Stamp	Professor, Condensed Matter	Research Website
Ziliang Ye	Assistant Professor, Condensed Matter	Research Website Research Field: Experimental Condensed Matter Physics Topics Include: 2D Materials (Graphene, Transition Metal Dichalcogenide, etc.), Ultrafast Optical Spectroscopy, Scanning Nearfield Optical Microscopy, Nanophotonic Devices (Silicon Photonics, Plasmonics, Metamaterials, etc.)
Jeff Young	Professor, Condensed Matter	Research Website Research Field: Photonics, Condensed Matter Physics Topics Include: Photonic Crystals, Nonlinear Optics, Spintronics
Fei Zhou	Professor, Condensed Matter	Research Website Research Field: Quantum Magnetism/Quantum Many-body Physics/Applications of QFT/CFT Topics Include: Ultra-Cold Quantum Matter, Strong-Coupling physics, Far Away From Equilibrium Quantum Dynamics, Quantum entanglement and quantum transport/dynamic phenomena, Emergent quantum symmetries and correlations.
Ke Zou	Assistant Professor, Condensed Matter	http://science-mbelab.sites.olt.ubc.ca/ Research Field: Molecular Beam Epitaxy Lab Topics Include: Synthesis and design of quantum materials

Postdoctoral Fellows & Research Associates Engaged in Condensed Matter Research

Name	Position	Research
James Day	Research Associate, Condensed Matter	Research Website Research Field: Unconventional Superconductivity; Undergraduate Physics Labs Topics Include: Low temperature, microwave measurements; Data handling abilities of undergraduate students
Silvia Folk	Research Associate, Condensed Matter	Research Field: Mesoscopic physics, nanoelectronics, topological electronic systems, fractional quantum Hall effect
F Giorgio Levy de Castro	Research Associate, Condensed Matter	Research Field: AMPEL

Condensed Matter

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Faculty Engaged: Condensed Matter

Postdoctoral Fellows & Research Associates Engaged in Condensed Matter Research