Physics Colloquium: Shedding Light on Quantum Materials

Please join the Physics Department in welcoming Patrick Vora from George Mason University, who will give a talk entitled "Shedding Light on Quantum Materials".

Lunch will be provided.

A description of the talk is included below:

Correlated quantum phenomena are believed to be the most promising route towards achieving a new generation of electronics technologies. Quantum computation, quantum sensing, and quantum communication are all poised to revolutionize the ways in which humans interact with the world. At the heart of these technologies are quantum materials: a growing class of condensed matter systems where new behaviors emerge from many-body interactions. Some notable examples of emergent behaviors include superconductivity, charge density waves, topological states, and magnetic monopoles. In this colloquium, I will present an introduction to quantum materials as well as their potential for industrial application, followed by explorations of such materials using optical spectroscopy. Such studies have enabled our group to 1) establish a more concrete understanding of charge density wave physics, 2) identify new signatures of topological phase transitions, and 3) discover a new type of interface exciton appearing at the boundaries between two-dimensional materials. Finally, I will highlight the recently established Quantum Materials Center at George Mason University and opportunities for student involvement.