Coherent exploration and manipulation of quantum materials

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Quantum materials systems wherein long-range coherence in the electronic and structural degrees of freedom, in concert with strong interactions, give rise to new quantum phases of matter lie at the forefront of modern science. Their fundamental excitations yield glimpses into rare phenomena beyond the reach of even the most advanced particle accelerators, and their technological applications in daily life are myriad, ranging from Li-ion batteries in cell phones and electric vehicles, superconductive coils in MRI machines, and quantum dots in high-definition television screens. Yet other quantum materials, such as for example high-temperature superconductors, embody the outstanding open questions in modern physics and continue to elude our full understanding, nearly three decades after their discovery.******In my research group based at UBC, we develop state-of-the-art, high-resolution spectroscopic tools employing visible, ultraviolet, and x-ray radiation to probe the surface and bulk electronic properties of these quantum materials at the frontier of condensed matter physics. For example, during the most recent Discovery Grant period, we used new pulsed laser and synchrotron measurement capabilities to perform groundbreaking experiments on self-organization of electrons in cuprates, as well as relativistic effects in ruthenates and iron-based superconductors. Together, these achievements provided major contributions to our understanding of unconventional and high-temperature superconductivity. Additionally, using in situ surface manipulation techniques pioneered in my group, we were able to turn graphene a 2D semi-metal into a superconductor, a technological breakthrough.******In this program, with my team of talented students, postdocs, and research staff we seek to build upon successes in both the equilibrium and dynamical spectroscopic study of quantum materials while expanding into new territories of quantum manipulation. To do so, we seek to establish coherent control of both crystal and electronic structures via adatom deposition, multiaxial strain, and pulsed laser sources of various wavelengths. By this multipronged approach, we may continue to explore novel quantum materials of both intellectual and technological interest to the wider scientific community, pushing the known limits of solid state towards altogether new phases of quantum matter.