Research Expertise and Interest

physics, condensed matter theory, electron-electron interactions, zero-temperature phase transitions, interaction effects in nanoscale devices, quantum phase transitions

Research Description

I am a theoretical physicist studying condensed matter. My main interest is in the properties of “quantum materials”, in which electron-electron interactions or wavefunction topology yield new states of matter. The zero-temperature quantum phase transitions between correlated quantum states are an especially beautiful and universal part of this field. Another currently exciting area is understanding how correlated quantum states transport charge, spin, and heat: aside from fundamental interest, this can lead to new devices for spin-based electronics and quantum sensing. We also use concepts from quantum information theory to analyze problems in condensed matter physics. Theoretical work on these problems benefits from an increasing quantity and quality of experimental data, and students in the group are encouraged to interact with experimental efforts at Berkeley and elsewhere.