Chemistry Weekly Seminar - Steven Rayan, University of Saskatchewan
Steven Rayan, Professor in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics and Director, Centre for Quantum Topology and Its Applications (quanTA), University of Saskatchewan, will present a seminar at 1:30 pm in Thorvaldson 159.
Title
Quantum Matter and Exotic Geometries: Innovations in Material Science Inspired by Mathematics and Art
Abstract
How a physical material behaves is not just a matter of its ingredients, but also how they are arranged. In other words, geometry is key to functionality. One of the pivotal successes of condensed matter theory and material science in the last century has been the realization that another type of geometry, namely that of the energy bands of the material, plays a decisive role in determining what kind of insulator or conductor the material might be, for example. Electronic band theory has been used to rigorously explain various kinds of phenomena, including the quantum Hall effect and the existence of various forms of "quantum matter" that exhibit unusual behaviours defying intuition. By appealing to exotic geometries that are well known to mathematicians — and artists! — one can anticipate new forms of synthetic quantum matter with an even more expansive range of functionalities. These materials may in turn be the solution to problems of scalability in nascent quantum technologies such as quantum computers. In the talk, I will give a comprehensive tour through these ideas, leading up to the theory and realization of "hyperbolic quantum matter" in my recent works with various collaborators. There will be lots of pictures.
Date: Friday, November 17
Time: 1:30 pm
Place: Thorvaldson 159
Everyone is Welcome