Condensed Matter Physics and Complex Systems

Theory

Theoretical physicists at Michigan carry out research both in traditional Condensed Matter physics and in the field of Complex Systems using methods originally developed to understand the properties of matter. Active theoretical efforts address topological insulators, nonlinear systems driven out of equilibrium, biophysics, soft condensed matter, nano-science, quantum circuits, quantum computing, superconductivity, vortex dynamics, dynamical instabilities, nonlinear collective transport phenomena, and network theory.

Experimental Condensed Matter Physics research at Michigan spans a wide variety of experimental techniques and topics. Much of the work involves overlap with applied physics, complex systems, optics and biophysics.

General topics studied include topological insulators; soft condensed matter; semiconductor physics and devices; quantum optics and quantum computing; metamaterials, photonics, optoelectronics and non-linear optics; thermoelectricity and ferroelectricity; solar energy conversion, light emission and lasing, strongly correlated and low dimensional electron systems; magnetism, optically induced magnetism, spins in semiconductors, and pattern formation in non-equilibrium systems.

Materials preparation includes molecular beam epitaxy, organic thin film deposition, and microfabrication.

Experimental techniques include low temperature and high magnetic field electrical transport; thermal transport; scanning tunneling and other microscopies; optical and ultrafast spectroscopies; x-ray and inelastic light scattering; and synchrotron and laboratory electron and x-ray spectroscopy.

Materials and devices studied include thin films; single electron transistors; organic and inorganic semiconductors; semiconductor quantum dots, wells, and superlattices; light emitting diodes; solar cells, lasers, detectors, low dimensional compounds and fabricated structures; rare earth, transition metal and actinide compounds and alloys; complex fluids.