Unusual physics in Dirac-Weyl materials with a flat band
Abstract
Quantum materials hosting a flat band, such as pseudospin 1 Dirac-Weyl materials and the magic angle twisted bilayer graphene, have become a forefront area of research. These materials can generate surprising physical phenomena including unconventional superconductivity, orbital ferromagnetism, and the Chern insulating behavior with topological edge states. The proposed research aims to launch a comprehensive and systematic study to uncover and understand unconventional physical phenomena in flat band materials for potential DoD applications, with three research thrusts. In particular, Thrust 1 is to exploit unconventional topological states in Dirac-Weyl flat band materials. The research will contribute to the fundamental knowledge base of topological quantum states. Thrust 2 is to launch a new area of research: spin 1Dirac-Weyl electron optics. It will establish a deep link between Dirac-Weyl and Maxwell’s equations than previously achieved, paving the way for exploiting the interplay between subwavelength optics and Dirac-Weyl spin 1 physics to mutually benefit both fields and facilitating the discovery of new phenomena at the disciplinary boundary. Thrust 3 focuses on the optical properties of Dirac-Weyl materials with a flat band with the idea that, since the flat band offers new possibilities for electronic transition, the optical conductivity could be significantly enhanced in these materials as compared with graphene. This would make the flat band materials better candidates for optical sensors and modulators.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jan 21, 2022
- Source ID
- FA95502110186XX0
Entities
People
- Ying-Cheng Lai
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- United States Air Force