This award supports fundamental theoretical research and education to advance understanding of magnetism and superconductivity in materials, particularly two dimensional materials. The research is motivated in part by the experimental discovery of magnetism at the interface between two materials that are themselves not magnetic. The PI aims to develop a theoretical framework to investigate magnetism in two dimensions that can investigate the possibility of quantum mechanical states with spatially varying magnetism. These spatially varying states have particle-like properties and a structure where the local direction of magnetism twists around the center. These magnetic states may form the basis of new technologies for data storage or new devices. The PI will also investigate the effect of a high degree of imperfections and defects on the superconducting state, which can transport electric power without loss. Specifically the PI will investigate the transformation of a superconductor into an insulator when the level of imperfections and defects, or disorder, becomes sufficiently high. The PI will study the consequences of the interplay between superconductivity and disorder to advance understanding of the nature of both the insulating and superconducting states. This research contributes fundamental insights into novel materials providing the basis for controlling their properties for potential applications with benefits to society. This project will involve the training and mentoring of young scientists at the frontiers of science.
The award supports theoretical research and education with a goal to gain theoretical insights into two classes of low-dimensional quantum materials. The first project seeks to elucidate the chiral and anisotropic exchange interactions arising from spin-orbit coupling and broken inversion symmetry in two-dimensional materials. This will lead to a better understanding of the resulting spatially modulated magnetic phases, like skyrmion crystals, and their unusual electronic properties. These investigations are motivated by recent experiments on thin films and interfaces. The second set of problems is related to the interplay between localization and superconductivity and the resulting quantum phase transition in disordered thin films. The superconductor-insulator transition is a long-standing problem that has received renewed impetus from the PI's recent theoretical work and from new experimental progress in tunneling and optical spectroscopy. The PI will investigate the spatially inhomogeneous electronic state in highly disordered superconductors, with emergent granularity and an unusual insulator of pairs, for which there is growing experimental evidence. In both areas the PI's theoretical research will use a mix of analytical and numerical approaches to address questions directly motivated by recent experiments, with the goal of obtaining new insights and making testable predictions.
The project will involve the training and mentoring of young scientists in frontier areas of condensed matter and materials physics. The PI is actively involved in the Bridge Program at Ohio State to help enhance under-represented minority participation in physics. The PI will incorporate aspects of his research into teaching, and will disseminate this research through publications, talks at international conferences and lecture at summer schools. The PI will also continue to give public talks and lecture-demonstrations, aimed at non-scientific audiences including middle and high school students.
