Physics (Internal)

Quantum Choreography: Exotica Inside Crystals

This event is part of the Physics Department Colloquia Series.

The electrons moving through ordinary solids such as a piece of Iron can sometimes self-organize in novel ways. Due to their fuzzy quantum motion, this can lead to very unusual (and useful!) behavior, as with the resistanceless flow of electricity in superconductors. But even more exotic patterns of quantum behavior are possible, where the electron is effectively “splintered” into distinct fragments. Searching for such exotic “quantum dancing patterns” involves trying to intuit the quantum choreography that nature employs. I will describe the efforts and prospects in this exciting search.