New phases of matter in quantum materials

Event Date:
2021-04-29T16:00:00
2021-04-29T17:00:00
Event Location:
Connect via zoom
Speaker:
Erica Carlson (Purdue)
Related Upcoming Events:
Intended Audience:
Undergraduate
Local Contact:

Douglas Scott

Event Information:

Abstract: Condensed matter is the science of stuff you can touch: if you can hold it in your hand, it's a condensed matter system.  Phases of matter and phase transitions are central concepts in condensed matter physics.  Think how important the solid, liquid, and vapor phases of water are to human society.  But there are many more phases of matter and phase transitions than these three!  From the liquid crystal displays of our computer screens, to the foams of bread and shaving cream, the suspension we know as milk, and the granular matter known as peanut butter, phases beyond the simple solid/liquid/gas permeate our lives.  Some of the most dramatic technological advances have come through controlling the behavior of electrons inside of materials.  These electrons have their own phases of matter and phase transitions, such as magnet, semiconductor, metal, and many other exotic phases of electrons which have thus far defied a unified theoretical description.  We discuss a new conceptual framework for describing the behavior of electrons when they acquire self-similar structure on multiple length scales, i.e. fractal electronic textures.  I will discuss the application of these ideas to quantum materials such as cuprate superconductors and Mott metal-insulator transition materials.  [Nat. Commun. 10, 4568 (2019); Nat. Phys. 14, 1056 (2018); PRL 116, 036401 (2016); Nat. 529, 329 (2015); Nat. Commun. 3, 915 (2012)]

Bio: Erica W. Carlson, Ph.D., is Professor of Physics at Purdue University. Prof. Carlson holds a B.S. in Physics from the California Institute of Technology (1994), as well as a Ph.D. in Physics from UCLA (2000). A theoretical physicist, Prof. Carlson researches electronic phase transitions in quantum materials. In 2015, she was elected a Fellow of the American Physical Society "for theoretical insights into the critical role of electron nematicity, disorder, and noise in novel phases of strongly correlated electron systems and predicting unique characteristics." Prof. Carlson has been on the faculty at Purdue University since 2003, where she was recently named a "150th Anniversary Professor" in recognition of teaching excellence.  Her latest work popularizing science can be found at thegreatcourses.com/courses/understanding-the-quantum-world and youtube.com/QuantumCoffeehouse

Add to Calendar 2021-04-29T16:00:00 2021-04-29T17:00:00 New phases of matter in quantum materials Event Information: Abstract: Condensed matter is the science of stuff you can touch: if you can hold it in your hand, it's a condensed matter system.  Phases of matter and phase transitions are central concepts in condensed matter physics.  Think how important the solid, liquid, and vapor phases of water are to human society.  But there are many more phases of matter and phase transitions than these three!  From the liquid crystal displays of our computer screens, to the foams of bread and shaving cream, the suspension we know as milk, and the granular matter known as peanut butter, phases beyond the simple solid/liquid/gas permeate our lives.  Some of the most dramatic technological advances have come through controlling the behavior of electrons inside of materials.  These electrons have their own phases of matter and phase transitions, such as magnet, semiconductor, metal, and many other exotic phases of electrons which have thus far defied a unified theoretical description.  We discuss a new conceptual framework for describing the behavior of electrons when they acquire self-similar structure on multiple length scales, i.e. fractal electronic textures.  I will discuss the application of these ideas to quantum materials such as cuprate superconductors and Mott metal-insulator transition materials.  [Nat. Commun. 10, 4568 (2019); Nat. Phys. 14, 1056 (2018); PRL 116, 036401 (2016); Nat. 529, 329 (2015); Nat. Commun. 3, 915 (2012)] Bio: Erica W. Carlson, Ph.D., is Professor of Physics at Purdue University. Prof. Carlson holds a B.S. in Physics from the California Institute of Technology (1994), as well as a Ph.D. in Physics from UCLA (2000). A theoretical physicist, Prof. Carlson researches electronic phase transitions in quantum materials. In 2015, she was elected a Fellow of the American Physical Society "for theoretical insights into the critical role of electron nematicity, disorder, and noise in novel phases of strongly correlated electron systems and predicting unique characteristics." Prof. Carlson has been on the faculty at Purdue University since 2003, where she was recently named a "150th Anniversary Professor" in recognition of teaching excellence.  Her latest work popularizing science can be found at thegreatcourses.com/courses/understanding-the-quantum-world and youtube.com/QuantumCoffeehouse Event Location: Connect via zoom