Engineering quantum electronic materials by phonon-polariton metamaterials

量子力学将材料中的电子描述为粒子和波函数。在“量子材料”中，纠缠的电子波函数表现出与传统金属、半导体或绝缘体不同的性质。控制这些性质不仅促进了我们对电子之间基本相互作用的理解，而且有望为下一代信息技术提供新的设备。光包含振荡电场，因此在合适的频率下，光可以同时与电子和原子的运动强烈耦合。这些耦合的电子和原子可能会进入与现有材料完全不同的状态。该项目设计了具有增强的光-物质相互作用和量子关联的混合材料。对这些由光动态设计的材料的表征可能会为我们提供对非传统超导等新兴现象的洞察。除了科学影响，该计划还通过为社区大学生提供研究机会来培训下一代STEM劳动力。它还将通过一门新的量子材料工程课程向更广泛的受众提高对量子技术的认识。存在于时间周期场中的非平衡开放系统，如Floquit态，成为按需创造量子材料的新平台。这种系统的动态性质使其有可能超越稳定性限制，并在旧材料中诱导新的电子结构。由于光驱动态具有丰富的物理内涵和理论处理的难度，对存在电子关联的光驱动态的实验研究显得尤为重要。然而，研究固体中的相干动力学面临着诸如带间跃迁和晶格耗散等实际挑战。这个项目试图通过耦合支持声子-极化子的材料和承载有间隙相互作用电子的材料来克服一些挑战。用共振脉冲光激发声子-极化激子提供了必要的强场和快速的相干演化，其速度超过了热化。使用由微谐振器组成的超材料，光强度可以超过桌面光源通常可以实现的光强度。同时，为了减少多光子跃迁和场致电离，我们选择了超材料中声子-极化子的频率。电子能级、输运性质和耗散动力学的瞬时变化随后被时间分辨光谱仪探测。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。

Quantum mechanics describes electrons in materials as both particles and wavefunctions. In “quantum materials” the entangled electronic wavefunctions exhibit properties that differ from conventional metals, semiconductors or insulators. Controlling these properties not only advances our understanding of the fundamental interactions among electrons, but also promises new devices for next-generation information technology. Light contains oscillating electric field, so at the right frequency light can simultaneously strongly couple with motions of both electrons and atoms. These coupled electrons and atoms may enter entirely different states from those in existing materials. This project designs hybrid materials with both enhanced light-matter interactions and quantum correlations. The characterization of these materials dynamically engineered by light potentially provides insights into emergent phenomena like unconventional superconductivity. Besides scientific impact, this program trains the next-generation STEM workforce through research opportunities for community college students. It will also raise awareness of quantum technology to a broader audience by a new course in quantum materials engineering.Non-equilibrium open systems such as Floquet states, present in time-periodic fields, emerge as new platforms to create quantum materials on demand. The dynamic nature of such systems makes it possible to override stability constraints and induce new electronic structures in old materials. Experimental investigation of optically driven states at the presence of electronic correlation is particularly important due to the rich physics and the difficulty in theoretical treatment. However, studying coherent dynamics in solids faces practical challenges such as interband transition and lattice dissipation. This project seeks to overcome some of the challenges by coupling materials supporting phonon-polaritons and materials hosting gapped interacting electrons. Exciting the phonon-polariton with resonant pulsed light provides the necessary strong field and fast coherent evolution that outpaces thermalization. Using metamaterials consisting of micro-resonators, the light intensity can exceed those commonly achievable by table-top sources. Meanwhile, the frequency of phonon-polaritons in the metamaterial is chosen to reduce both the multi-photon transition and the field-induced ionization. The transient changes of electronic energy levels, transport properties and dissipation dynamics are subsequently probed by time-resolved spectroscopy.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.