Designer Topological Superconductivity

非技术总结该奖项支持理论和计算研究，以及关于光诱导的电子物质的一种新状态--拓扑超导的教育。研究光与物质的相互作用，如受激发原子发出的光的频率相关性或光谱，以及材料表面的光可以释放电子的光电效应，在量子物理学的发展中发挥了核心作用。光与量子力学状态的相互作用促进了技术的进步，如激光的发展，从光通信到医疗设备都有广泛的应用。另一方面，人们已经认识到宏观数量的电子的相互作用和纠缠可能导致新的量子力学相的发展，如超导和拓扑态。在前一种情况下，电子参与集体量子力学状态，这种状态可以无损耗地携带电流。后一种情况的一个例子是，拓扑绝缘体的主体是绝缘的，但具有覆盖表面和边缘的金属状态，也可以无损耗地携带电流，尽管原因与BLOK超导状态不同。这一研究项目将超导和拓扑态的概念结合在一起，通过探索光与层状材料中电子的相互作用来产生和控制拓扑超导态。PI的目的是提高对如何设计、创建和控制光学可控拓扑超导态的理论理解。如果在实验室中实现，这些状态可能会为下一代量子技术的发展奠定基础，例如通过操纵量子力学状态发挥作用的量子计算机和量子通信设备。该奖项还支持外展和教育活动。在科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)相关领域代表性不足的少数族裔学生将通过该项目的外展努力获得尖端研究经验。PI将设计一系列与该项目的技术影响相关的座谈会，探索量子物理的日常应用，以及它们与通过量子计算和自旋电子学进行的潜在技术革命的关系。演讲将在不同的地点举行，包括致力于教育非裔美国学生从事STEM相关领域并激励他们从事STEM相关领域职业的非营利组织，以及为纽约市哈莱姆社区的公共宣传提供资源的CUNY高级科学研究中心。国际物理学会还将以关于材料量子性质的章节的形式组织这些研讨会系列，并将在高中现代物理课程中实施。这项工作是与大纽约市的高中合作进行的。技术总结该奖项支持理论和计算研究，以及拓扑超导教育。在对某些材料施加激光脉冲后观察到的超导电性特征最近引起了人们的极大兴趣。一项重大成就是在远高于平衡临界温度的温度下实现了超导。另一方面，它还引出了进一步的问题，即哪些其他量子态可能会失稳。设计者拓扑阶段的可能性特别有趣，并且具有实用价值。PI将研究通过改变电子能带结构和控制电子-电子相互作用在单层过渡金属二卤化物等二维材料中实现的拓扑超导电性。PI将研究约瑟夫森结和涡旋的光学产生，受光泵的特定偏振模式和外加光束的涡旋结构控制。PI的目的是研究如何利用缺陷来光学产生像Majorana态这样的激发，并研究将产生量子编织的缺陷模的动态位移。缺陷模的光学特征和它们的编织统计也将被确定。PI计划研究热化、加热和无序对稳定这些状态的影响。将使用基于主方程和凯尔德什形式的解析和数值方法。尽管该项目的主要焦点是二维金属二卤化物中的拓扑超导电性，但根据研究取得的理论进展，这一努力可以扩展到不同材料中的广泛的光诱导相互作用拓扑态，如拓扑Mott绝缘体和分数异常霍尔相，如单层铋或扭曲的双层石墨烯。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

NONTECHNICAL SUMMARYThis award supports theoretical and computational research, and education on a new state of electronic matter, topological superconductivity, induced by light. The study of the interaction of light and matter, such as in the frequency dependence or spectrum of light emitted by an excited atom and the photo-electric effect where light on the surface of a material can liberate electrons, played a central role in the development of quantum physics. The interaction of light with quantum mechanical states facilitated technological advances like the development of lasers with wide applications from optical communication to medical devices. On another front, it has been realized that interaction and entanglement of a macroscopic number of electrons could lead to the development of novel quantum mechanical phases, such as superconductivity and topological states. In the former case, electrons participate in a collective bulk quantum mechanical state that can carry electric current without loss. The bulk of a topological insulator, an example of the latter case, is insulating but has a metallic state that covers the surface and edges that can also carry electric current without loss, albeit for reasons different from that of bullk superconducting states. This research project brings the concepts of superconductivity and topological states together by exploring the interaction of light with electrons in layered materials to generate and control a topological superconducting state. The PI aims to advance theoretical understanding of how optically controllable topological superconducting states could be designed, created, and controlled. If realized in the laboratory, these states could form the foundation for the development of the next generation of quantum technologies, such as quantum computers and quantum communication devices which function through the manipulation of quantum mechanical states. This award also supports outreach and educational activities. Minority students underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) related fields will gain cutting-edge research experiences through the outreach efforts in this project. The PI will design a colloquium series related to the technological impacts of the project that will explore everyday applications of quantum physics and their relationship to potential technological revolutions through quantum computing and spintronics. Presentations will be at different venues, including nonprofit organizations devoted to educating African-American students in stem and energizing them to pursue careers in STEM related fields, as well as the CUNY Advanced Science Research Center which provides resources for public outreach in the New York City Harlem neighborhood. The PI will also organize these seminar series in the form of a chapter on quantum properties of materials to be implemented in high-school courses on modern physics. This effort is carried out in collaboration with high-schools in greater New York City.TECHNICAL SUMMARYThis award supports theoretical and computational research, and education on topological superconductivity. Signatures of superconductivity observed after the application of laser pulses to certain materials has recently drawn much interest. A major achievement is the realization of superconductivity at temperatures much higher than the equilibrium critical temperature. On another front, it leads to further questions of what other quantum states might be stabilized out-of-equilibrium. The possibility of designer topological phases is particularly interesting and of practical use. The PI will investigate topological superconductivity achieved through the modification of the electronic band structure and control of electron-electron interactions in two-dimensional materials like single layer transition metal dichalcogenides. The PI will study the optical generation of Josephson junctions and vortices, controlled by the specific polarization pattern of the optical pump and the vortex structure of applied light beams. The PI aims to investigate how defects may be used to optically generate excitations such as Majorana states and to examine the dynamical displacement of the defect modes that would generate quantum braiding. The optical signatures of the defect modes and their braiding statistics will be also determined. The PI plans to investigate the effect of thermalization, heating, and disorder on stabilizing these states. Analytical and numerical approaches based on the master equation and Keldysh formalism will be used. Even though the main focus of the project is on topological superconductivity in two-dimensional metal dichalcogenides, the efforts could extend to a wide range of light-induced interacting topological states, such as topological Mott insulators and fractional anomalous Hall phases, in different materials like single layer Bismuth or twisted bilayer graphene depending on theoretical advances that are made as the research is performed.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.