Electrodynamics and phenomenology of unconventional superconductors and metals

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For many years society has been reaping the benefits of the revolution in semiconductor electronics that occurred after the quantum behaviour of noninteracting electrons was understood in the early 20th century. A new quantum revolution is currently underway, in which researchers are working hard to understand “quantum materials”. In these materials, a far more difficult quantum problem must be solved the behaviour of systems of strongly interacting electrons. At this stage many of the challenges are fundamental: to understand how important electronic properties emerge in systems of interacting electrons; and to harness these materials so that they can be tailored to produce desired technological properties, in a controlled way. Many of these materials display unusual forms of superconductivity, a state of matter in which all electrical resistance vanishes. Examples include the cuprate high temperature superconductors; the so-called "heavy fermion" materials, in which electrons appear to be 100 to 1000 times heavier than normal; iron-based superconductors; and organics. At present, the mechanism responsible for superconductivity is not well understood in any of these materials. In addition, their nonsuperconducting states are unusual metals that pose some of the greatest challenges to our understanding of electrons in solids. Canadian researchers have been at the forefront of the research into quantum materials for many years. This proposal strengthens that effort in several key ways: by developing new experimental techniques, tailor-made for accessing difficult-to-measure properties of quantum materials such as time-reversal symmetry breaking, and electrical properties under uniaxial strain. by applying our group's world-leading tools for studying the high frequency (microwave) properties of quantum materials, something of both fundamental and technological importance. by bringing together experimental data and realistic theoretical simulations to provide significant new insights into the underlying behaviour of electrons in quantum materials. This proposal is well suited to delivering high-value training opportunities to a diverse range of highly qualified personnel (HQP), in part because it provides a wide range to entry points into the research program (experiment design, materials measurement, data analysis, theoretical calculation), to suit incoming trainees from a diverse range of backgrounds. As well as carrying out state-of-the-art research often in collaboration with leading international researchers trainees will acquire highly useful and marketable skills, such as training in data science, that are relevant to both academic and industry careers.