LION - Quantum matter redesign through LIght-matter interactiON
Abstract
The project LION - Quantum matter redesign through LIght-matter interactiON - has the overarching goal to succeed in the addressability and precise control of on-demand topological phases by carefully defining the driving dynamics in quantum materials. LION will remarkably explore topological protection and phase reconfigurability in materials that are suitable to attain future high-volume production. Our ambition is firmly empowered by bandgap engineering concepts and perturbation strategies based on light-matter interaction. This blueprint would open the door to dynamical and reconfigurable schemes with clear-cut advantages over more conventional equilibrium approaches. To initiate a visionary transition into a topological post-CMOS era, LION will target a class of diamond-like semimetals made of group IV materials like ?-Sn. These materials can represent an exceptional topological playground, capable of sustaining non-Fermi-liquids and quasi-particles in the form of exotic Kramers-Weyl fermions. Building upon such tremendous possibilities, we expect that light-matter interaction and other untapped degrees of freedom, e.g., strain and quantum size effects, will offer radically new pathways to manipulate the out-of-equilibrium topological order. More specifically, LION will leverage non-conventional light-based techniques. The symmetry-related sensitivity of light polarization to surface states will open the door to the investigation of novel quantum phases at room temperature. Detailed information on helical edge states is planned to be obtained using polarization-resolved optical spectroscopy. The project will thus be home to an exciting array of experiments that aim to push the frontiers of materials engineering by mapping the parameters and nontrivial nature of the band structure across topological phase transitions. The final and most challenging goal of the project will be the dynamic control of quantum phases through spin-orbit coupling via external fields in newly defined topological heterojunctions. Eventually, LION will provide a rigorous and replicable platform, which boasts radically new capabilities in condensed matter physics with far-reaching consequences in diverse fields and disciplines ranging from materials science to nanotechnology.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Apr 20, 2023
- Source ID
- FA86552217050
Entities
People
- Fabio Pezzoli
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- United States Air Force
- University of Milan