Novel phases of electronic Mott insulators

技术概述该奖项支持理论研究和教育，以研究电子物质的新型Mott绝缘状态。感兴趣的特定相是量子自旋液体，以及量子磁性相，它们是相互作用的拓扑绝缘体的自旋类似物。重点将放在理论概念和方法的发展上，这些概念和方法将放在实验和/或数值工作的背景下。PI将研究三个主题：(I)有机盐和其他材料中量子自旋液体的理论和现象学；(Ii)一类新的可能超出现有范式的无间隙量子自旋液体的理论描述；(Iii)拓扑绝缘体的自旋类似物的理论和实现。项目(I)和(II)的动机是在许多Mott绝缘体上进行的实验，这些实验提供了各种量子自旋液体相的证据，通常是无间隙激发。项目(III)是在一个快速发展的新领域，它可以加深我们对量子磁学和拓扑绝缘体的理解。该奖项支持对研究生进行凝聚态物理的现代概念和方法的培训。本科生将参与这项研究。PI将开展讲座，让研究生接触到相关材料的现象学及其实验探索。他还将开发讲座，向其他科学家传达凝聚态物理的兴奋。非技术概述该奖项支持关于有趣的新型绝缘态物质的理论研究和教育。人们早就知道，在某些材料中，绝缘行为是电子之间库仑相互作用的结果，而不是由于量子力学能带的填充。现代发展表明，其中一些Mott绝缘体可以处于非常新颖的物质状态，其中微观自由度在宏观距离上通过量子力学纠缠。由于长程量子力学纠缠，出现了一些不寻常的反直觉现象。PI将发展新的概念和方法来处理具有长程量子纠缠的绝缘体，以及它们的实验特征。他还将加深对这种相互作用驱动的绝缘体中对称性和量子效应之间的相互作用的理解。这项基础研究有可能产生一些概念，这些概念将成为未来量子技术的基础。长程纠缠相的研究是凝聚态物理学中相对较新的一章，它有望对技术产生类似于长程有序相研究的前一章的影响。该奖项还支持对研究生进行凝聚态物理的现代概念和方法的培训。本科生将参与这项研究。PI将开展讲座，让研究生接触到相关材料的现象学及其实验探索。他还将开发讲座，向其他科学家传达凝聚态物理的兴奋。

Technical summaryThis award supports theoretical research and education to study novel Mott insulating states of electronic matter. Specific phases of interest are quantum spin liquids, and phases of quantum magnetism that are the spin analogs of interacting topological insulators. The emphasis will be on the development of theoretical concepts and methods which will be placed in the context of experiments and/or numerical work. The PI will pursue three topics: (i) the theory and phenomenology of quantum spin liquids in the organic salts and other materials;(ii) a theoretical description of a new class of gapless quantum spin liquid states that are likely beyond the existing paradigm;(iii) the theory and realization of spin analogs of topological insulators. Projects (i) and (ii) are motivated by experiments on many Mott insulators that provide evidence for various kinds of quantum spin liquid phases, typically with gapless excitations. Project (iii) is on a new and rapidly evolving area which can deepen our understanding both of quantum magnetism and topological insulators. The award supports the training of graduate students in modern concepts and methods in condensed matter physics. Undergraduates will be involved in the research. The PI will develop lectures to expose graduate students to the phenomenology of correlated materials and their experimental probes. He will also develop lectures to convey the excitement of condensed matter physics to other scientists. Non-technical summaryThis award supports theoretical research and education on interesting new kinds of insulating states of matter. It has long been known that in certain materials insulating behavior develops as a result of the Coulomb interaction between the electrons rather than due to the filling of quantum mechanical energy bands. Modern developments show that some of these Mott insulators can be in very novel states of matter where the microscopic degrees of freedom are quantum mechanically entangled over macroscopic distances.Several unusual counter intuitive phenomena arise as a result of the long range quantum mechanical entanglement. The PI will develop new concepts and methods to deal with insulators with long range quantum entanglement, and their experimental signatures. He will also develop a deeper understanding of the interplay between symmetry and quantum effects in such interaction driven insulators. This fundamental research has potential to generate concepts that will underlie future quantum technologies. The study of long range entangled phases is a relatively new chapter in condensed matter physics which holds promise to have similar impact on technology as the previous chapter of the study of long range ordered phases. This award also supports the training of graduate students in modern concepts and methods in condensed matter physics. Undergraduates will be involved in the research. The PI will develop lectures to expose graduate students to the phenomenology of correlated materials and their experimental probes. He will also develop lectures to convey the excitement of condensed matter physics to other scientists.