Designing Functional Quantum Materials: From Anyons to Magnetic Storage

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Since the Stone Age, our social and industrial revolutions have been intimately tied to the development of new materials, an example being how modern information technology was made possible by the genesis of silicon transistors. However, current limitations on computing call for new materials needed for quantum technology. Solid-state materials are made of billions of atoms arranged in a periodic pattern. Such solids have collections of electrons donated from atoms, where each electron has an electric charge and a spin. While behaviours of few electrons in atoms are understood, their fundamental physical attributes inside micrometer-size solids are largely hidden under their electronic and magnetic properties. Materials may become metallic, insulating, or superconducting despite no change in their constituents, raising the critical question of what factors determine these different states of matter. To characterize different states, the concept of a broken symmetry has been used. Under certain conditions, some solids can become ferromagnets where the spins align toward a particular direction. Since one direction is chosen over all other possible directions, it is referred to as broken symmetry. Recently, knowledge of quantum matter has advanced through a series of radical and unexpected revolutions in our understanding. Distinct states are differentiated by the topological character of their wave functions. Topology refers to a property that is immune to smooth deformations. For example, a donut with a hole is topologically identical to a coffee mug with a handle, while a ball without a hole is topologically distinct from both. Applying this concept to physics, topological materials have an immunity to impurities and defects, sources of energy loss. Due to their ability to conduct electrical current, these materials have great potential in the development of quantum technology. Another notion evolved over the last few decades is entanglement, which denotes the absence of local quantities describing the quantum state. In topological phases with entanglement, there exist mathematical models where new types of particles named anyons, essential for error-correcting quantum computers, emerge. Our research goal is designing functional materials for distinct purposes ranging from anyons for quantum computers to room temperature ferromagnets for magnetic storage. The PI is a leading expert in developing microscopic theories that bridge a gap between mathematical models and solid-state materials. We will collaborate with other experts in the materials synthesis to generate creative and synergetic research outcomes. Our findings will guide us to discover future materials that will address current societal needs, lay the foundations for quantum technology, and expand the boundaries of our current understanding. This research will involve training the next generation of Canadian scientists in areas of high demand for Canadian society and industry.