Applications of Field Theory to Condensed Matter Physics

University Of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign, Urbana IL

Investigators

Abstract

This award supports research and education on electrons in low-dimensional condensed matter systems with a large number of strongly coupled degrees of freedom. The properties of these systems are dominated by large quantum mechanical fluctuations. The ideas, concepts, and methods of quantum field theory will be used to carry out theoretical research in a wide range of areas including: electronic liquid crystal phases in strongly correlated fermionic systems, high temperature superconductors, and quantum Hall systems; quantum Hall topological entanglement and its applications to quantum computation; fractional quantum Hall effects and non-commutative geometry; and condensed matter analogs of general relativity, including analogs of the Hawking radiation in super liquids. This award supports theoretical research and education on electrons in low-dimensional systems. Research will focus on new physical phenomena that have been uncovered in the past few years, such as particles with fractional charge and fractional statistics, topological quantum computing, liquid crystal phases in electron liquids, and the possible existence of phases of matter with electron fractionalization. The physical systems where such phenomena take place are two-dimensional electron gases in large magnetic fields, strongly correlated systems such as high temperature superconductors, and the recently discovered ultracold dilute gases. Advanced methods of condensed matter theory, such as quantum field theory, will be used to address the intellectually challenging fundamental problems that arise in the condensed matter physics of these low-dimensional systems. This work may contribute to the intellectual foundation of future electronic device technologies.