Electrons in solids: strong correlations and disorder

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Condensed matter physics is the study of materials and patterns which can be constructed from atoms and molecules, seeking simple ways to express the origins of the diversity of physical properties which emerge from the essential ingredients of electrons, nuclei, and electromagnetic forces. This research program focuses on understanding electronic properties, which are of tremendous technological importance and present fascinating conceptual puzzles. Much of our current ability to describe the materials we use, such as metals, semiconductors, insulators and superconductors, arises from the fact that in some cases a single type of energy dominates the electronic behavior. However, this is not always the case, and in fact systems in which a delicate balance is achieved between competing interactions are often the most important for applications while also being the most challenging to understand. This research program aims to advance our understanding of electrons in solids in two lines of exploration, one focusing on the competition between disorder and electron-electron interactions and the other refining the capacity of nuclear magnetic resonance measurements to distinguish between competing theories of novel superconductors.