Infrared magneto-optic microscope for probing emergent quantum phases
Abstract
The field of quantum materials is rapidly advancing, and a central focus is studying emergent electronic phenomena that arise from complex interactions between constituent parts, such as electrons, phonons, and spins. At the forefront of quantum material research are topological and correlated materials, where electron wavefunctions have unique global structures or internally correlated, leading to abundant emergent phenomena waiting to be explored. The emergent properties of these materials hold significant promise for various next-generation applications relevant to national defense and security, including novel computing and artificial intelligence systems, as well as sensing and communication technologies. Symmetry is a fundamental concept in physics that plays a critical role in determining material properties. Detecting spontaneous symmetry breaking is a powerful method for exploring emergent electronic phenomena, wherein a system loses symmetry due to constituent interactions. Optical techniques have been particularly useful in detecting symmetry properties of materials and have been widely used in physics, chemistry, and biology. Successful techniques include second harmonic generation, circular and linear dichroism, and magneto-optic Kerr or Faraday effects. However, these techniques, as they have mostly been applied with high photon energies of 1 eV or more, have limitations in exploring interesting emergent topological and correlated phenomena that often occur at much lower energies.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Feb 05, 2025
- Source ID
- FA95502410077
Entities
People
- Qiong Ma
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Boston College
- United States Air Force