An outstanding challenge in correlated electron systems is to build an experimental realization of an arbitrary interesting Hamiltonian. Materials physicists traditionally tailor complex materials to achieve desired electronic properties. The present project's approach is complementary: instead of developing new and exotic materials, work with materials whose properties are simple and well-established, such as 2-dimensional electron gases in GaAs-based semiconductor heterostructures. Then use nanolithography to carve them into arbitrary structures of coupled electron droplets, designed to match a Hamiltonian of interest. Finally, voltages on local gate electrodes can be used to tune every important parameter. This project will engineer nanostructures to display novel many-body ground states, notably a two-channel Kondo system built from a pair of coupled electron droplets. Undergraduates will be substantively involved in every stage of this research, preparing them for graduate school or a broad range of industrial jobs. In addition, a new course will be created to educate students about the physics of electrons at the nanoscale. %%% Materials physicists often design complex materials to achieve desired electronic properties. The present project's goal is similar, but its approach is complementary: instead of developing new and exotic materials, work with materials whose properties are simple and well-established. Then use tools borrowed from the semiconductor industry to carve these simple materials into complex patterns which can confine electrons. Multiple ultrafine metal wires (twenty nanometers in diameter, or thousands of times narrower than a human hair) can then be used to shift the confined electrons around and hence to tune the electrical behavior of the system. Despite the simple starting materials, the novel geometries will result in never-before-seen electronic properties. Undergraduates will be substantively involved in every stage of this research, preparing them for graduate school or a broad range of industrial jobs. In addition, a new course will be created to educate students about the physics of electrons at the nanoscale.
