Physics & Astronomy Colloquium - Prof. Subir Sachdev, Harvard

Title: "Quantum Matter Without Quasiparticles: Strange Metals and Black Holes"

October 20, 2017
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Location
Wilder 104
Sponsored by
Physics & Astronomy Department
Audience
Public
More information
Tressena Manning
603-646-2854

Abstract: The quasiparticle concept is the foundation of our understanding of the dynamics of quantum many-body systems. It originated in the theory of metals, which have electron-like quasiparticles; but it is also useful in more exotic states like those found in fractional quantum Hall systems. However, many modern materials exhibit a `strange metal’ phase to which the quasiparticle picture does not apply, and developing its theory remains one of the important challenges in condensed matter physics. I will describe the simplest known quantum many-body models without quasiparticle excitations. Some of these models have a dual description as black holes in a curved spacetime with an emergent spatial direction, and the black hole connection has proved useful in understanding some experiments.

Location
Wilder 104
Sponsored by
Physics & Astronomy Department
Audience
Public
More information
Tressena Manning
603-646-2854