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Research

Condensed Matter Physics

Our condensed matter program spans a wide range of fundamental and applied phenomena, including 2D materials, artificially frustrated magnets, first principles calculations, topological phases of matter, spintronics, superconductivity, many body theory, soft condensed matter, quantum information, and ultrafast optical processes. The program was ranked 11th in the nation in the latest (2018) U.S. News & World Report rankings of graduate schools. We host an interdisciplinary Materials Research Science & Engineering Center (MRSEC), known as the Center for Nanoscale Science, funded by NSF. Our faculty are also lead investigators in the 2D Crystal Crystal Consortium (2DCC), one of the two sites of the NSF Materials Innovation Platform.  Research programs within the condensed matter group are currently funded by the Army Research Office, the Department of Energy, the Kaufman Foundation, the Moore Foundation, the National Science Foundation, the Office of Naval Research, and the Semiconductor Research Corporation.

Condensed matter faculty

Theory: Zhen Bi, Vincent Crespi, Kristen Fichthorn, Jainendra Jain, Ribhu Kaul, Chaoxing Liu, Marcos Rigol, Jorge Sofo.

Experiment: Cuizu Chang, Roman Engel-Herbert, Venkat Gopalan, Eric Hudson, Nathan Keim, Qi Li, Ying Liu, Zhiqiang Mao, Heike Pfau, Mikael Rechtsman, Joshua A. Robinson, Slava Rotkin, Nitin Samarth, Mauricio Terrones, Jun Zhu.

 

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Cover articles for condensed matter physics

Theory

Topological phase of matter, quantum phase transitions, 2D materials.
Condensed Matter Physics.
Fluid-solid Interfaces, nanoscale materials, thin-film and crystal growth.

 

 
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Ribhu Kaul.

Ribhu Kaul

Condensed matter theory.
Quantum many body physics, topological states of matter.
Condensed matter theory, Quantum many body physics, Topological states of matter, Quantum field theory, and Computational physics.

 

Topological states of matter, unconventional superconductivity, spintronics, electron and spin transport phenomena.
Strongly correlated systems, ultracold gases, quantum dynamics, statistical mechanics, computational physics.
Transport, quantum dynamics, decoherence, non-equilibrium thermodynamics, thermoelectric phenomena, surface charge dynamics.

Experiment

The quantum anomalous Hall effect, topological phases of matter, interface superconductivity.
Complex oxides, semiconductor fibers and metalattices, symmetry.
Atomic scale investigations of complex materials; 2D materials; superconductivity.

 

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Qi Li for the physics research website.

Qi Li

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Ying Liu for the physics research website.

Ying Liu

Soft matter, disordered materials, complex fluids, memory formation.
Quantum materials in thin films, nanostructures and nanodevices, topologocal and unconventional superconductors, spintronics, nanoferroinics.
Condensed Matter Physics.

 

Condensed Matter Physics.
Condensed Matter Physics.
Photonics, nonlinear optics, quantum optics, topological physics, transport phenomena.

 

Synthesis, Materials, Physical, Condensed Matter
Spintronics, topological quantum matter, quantum information.
Low dimensional materials (1D & 2D), 2D Heterointerfaces, spectroscopy, electron microscopy, nanoscience, carbon science.

 

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Jun Zhu for the physics research website.

Jun Zhu

 
 
van der Waals 2D materials, nanostructures, quantum Hall effect, topological superconductivity, valleytronics.