Research Description
Two-dimensional materials offer novel opportunities for creating strongly interacting electronic systems and hold promise to address various open questions related to superconductivity, topology, and magnetism. Yet, despite the great progress in the field, understanding the emerging correlated phases in these materials remains elusive. In particular, the properties of emerging phases appear highly sensitive to band structure details, crystal lattice symmetry, strain, and possibly other microscopic factors. For these reasons, new strategies for systematically investigating these systems are required.
Stevan Nadj-Perge’s research program aims to achieve control over strongly interacting electrons by inducing the coupling between electron spin and motion degree of freedom via spin-orbit interaction. This interaction is introduced by the proximity effect, that is, by coupling strongly correlated materials to materials with strong spin-orbit interaction in a controllable way. This proposed approach conceptually provides a highly tunable and sufficiently fine knob for controlling the properties of the emerging quantum phases, such as unconventional superconductivity and phases with non-trivial topological properties.
Research Impact
By inducing spin-orbit coupling into strongly interacting electronic systems, Dr. Nadj-Perge's research could greatly deepen the understanding of superconductivity, magnetism, and topological states in two dimensions. Consequently, it may lead to the development of the next generation of superconductors with improved resilience to external magnetic fields and significantly higher critical temperatures, as well as in novel topologically non-trivial Chern and quantum spin Hall phases.
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related links
Experimental Physics Investigators Initiative
Science
California Institute of Technology, Division of Engineering and Applied Science
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