About our research
In materials, simple interactions between different constituent particles (i.e. atoms and electrons) can yield amazing macroscopic phenomena. Famous examples include superconductivity and magnetism, but a whole host of interesting and exotic phenomena fall under the umbrella of ‘emergent quantum phases.’ For a century, experimentalists have been engaged in understanding the finer details of these phases so that we can predict, design, and utilize the incredible range of phases available to us within solid-state quantum systems. This research has yielded a wide variety of every-day advances (transistors, microwave communication, etc.), yet wide room for discovery remains.
Our group is interested in the physics of low-dimensional van der Waals materials, or synthetic quantum systems like nano-structured superconducting circuits, because these systems offer an enormous range of exciting phases to explore. We want to understand and control how collective behavior emerges using a toolbox that includes ultrafast linear and nonlinear THz spectroscopy, microstructured plasmonic circuitry, and electronic magnetotransport measurements.
Please find more information about our specific focus areas below!
Light-Matter Hybrids
Our group is interested in creating non-equilibrium states by using electromagnetic fields to alter the properties of quantum materials. We do this in two ways: the first is to drive materials with strong, symmetry-breaking fields to change their ground state symmetries. Doing so allows us to access new physical states that do not exist in equilibrium. We also confine materials within engineered dielectric environments to control how electromagnetic fluctuations influence the macroscopic properties of a given phase.
New Quantum Circuitry
Using photoconductive switches, one can drive electric circuits at frequencies from 10s of GHz to 2THz. By stringing together photoconductive switches, waveguides, and superconducting circuit elements, we hope to innovate the next generation of extreme-high-frequency superconducting circuit elements. The first goals are to create high-Q resonators, amplifiers, and eventually quantum gates which operate at 100s of GHz.
Nonlinear On-chip THz Spectroscopy
Exfoliated van der Waals quantum materials exhibit a dazzling array of emergent phases like superconductivity, magnetism, and charge order. These phases can be tuned by stacking different materials together, twisting layers with respect to each other, or applying electrostatic fields. Such emergent quantum phases usually have characteristic energy scales in the THz range of the electromagnetic spectrum, but the tiny size of samples within this material class makes them difficult to study. We are developing advanced on-chip multidimensional spectroscopies to help understand how different degrees of freedom influence each other, offering new insights into the mysteries of complex phases.
