Chemistry Insights into Physics Problems
Dec. 13, 2023 (Wed.) at 1:30PM (ET)
Boston College
Successful integration of chemistry and physics techniques is transforming the field of condensed matter physics into new directions. This is particularly evident in the CMP theory community as the chemistry databases are being integrated with physics analytical and machine learning techniques in search of new phases of matter. I will show how such integration of chemistry and physics techniques lead to new breakthroughs in experimental CMP. Specifically, I will showcase three problems that benefited from chemistry insights and novel material synthesis techniques. First, I will focus on the search for the quantum spin liquid phase where intercalation chemistry enabled synthesis of a new generation of Kitaev spin liquid candidates. Second, I will explain chemical design principles to control spiral magnetism in Weyl semimetals by tuning the band structure and magneto-crystalline anisotropy. Third, I will show how electron-phonon coupling can be tuned in chiral crystals in order to achieve a hydrodynamic el-ph fluid in three dimensions.