Physics of Strong Disorder and Correlation

非技术总结该奖项支持凝聚态物理的理论研究和教育。这项理论工作的灵感来自于新材料的实验发现，旨在解释和预测新的现象。这种新奇的现象经常出现在电子相互作用强烈的材料中，这项工作将集中在这个丰富的领域。过去的例子包括诺贝尔奖获得者的发现，如分数量子霍尔效应和高温超导。目前的项目包括对一种名为量子自旋液体的新状态物质的研究，以及高温超导背后的理论。这一研究领域特别适合培养研究生和博士后研究员，因为要取得进展，既需要复杂的数学知识，也需要对真实材料的理解。技术总结该奖项支持凝聚态物理的理论研究和教育。强关联是指由电子之间的强排斥相互作用驱动的材料中的物理现象。这些现象包括磁性的起源和一大类称为Mott绝缘体的绝缘体。最近，人们对一种被称为量子自旋液体的新相物质的研究产生了极大的兴趣，在这种相物质中，反铁磁有序的趋势被量子涨落所破坏。理论上预测，当这种情况发生时，会出现自然界中没有的新的激发。例子包括带有1/2自旋但不带电荷的费米子粒子和浮现规范场。已经发现了几种候选的自旋液体，但它们的性质仍有待于从实验和理论上进行充分的探索。该项目将进行理论研究，以解释现有数据并提出新的实验探索。自旋液体问题的进展促使P.I.重新研究长期存在的高温超导问题，这个问题是通过在Mott绝缘体中添加载流子而产生的。目前的项目涉及在理解量子自旋液体的最新进展的基础上探索新的想法。

NONTECHNICAL SUMMARYThis award supports theoretical research and education in condensed matter physics. The theoretical work takes its inspiration from experimental discovery in new materials and aims to explain and predict novel phenomena. Such novel phenomena often arise in materials where electrons are strongly interacting with each other, and this work will focus on this rich arena. Past examples include Nobel winning discoveries such as the fractional quantum Hall effect and high temperature superconductivity. The current project involves studies of a novel state of matter called quantum spin liquid, as well as the theory behind high temperature superconductivity. This research area is particularly well suited for the training of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows because both mathematical sophistication and an understanding of real materials are required to make progress. TECHNICAL SUMMARYThis award supports theoretical research and education in condensed matter physics. Strong correlation refers to physical phenomena in materials which are driven by the strong repulsive interactions between electrons. These phenomena include the origin of magnetism and a large class of insulators called Mott insulators. Recently there has been great interest in the study of a new phase of matter called the quantum spin liquid, where the tendency towards antiferromagnetic order is destroyed by quantum fluctuations. It is predicted theoretically that when this happens, novel excitations emerge which are not otherwise found in nature. Examples include fermionic particles carrying spin 1/2 but no charge and emergent gauge fields. Several candidate spin liquids have been discovered but their properties remain to be fully explored experimentally and theoretically. The project will carry out theoretical studies both to interpret existing data and to propose new experimental probes. Advances in the spin liquid problem have encouraged the P.I. to re-examine the long standing problem of high temperature superconductivity, which arises by adding carriers to a Mott insulator. The current project involves exploration of new ideas based on recent progress in the understanding of quantum spin liquids.