Condensed-Matter Physics

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October 22, 2021
News Feature
Experiments confirm a quantum material’s unique response to circularly polarized laser light
Topological insulators conduct electricity on their surfaces but not through their interiors. SLAC scientists discovered that high harmonic generation produces a unique signature from the topological surface.
A counterclockwise pattern of swirling arrows This pattern of arrows representing the combined spin and momentum of electrons in the surface layer of a topological insulator
October 13, 2021
News Feature
Why skyrmions could have a lot in common with glass and high-temperature superconductors
Spawned by the spins of electrons in magnetic materials, these tiny whirlpools behave like independent particles and could be the future of computing. Experiments with SLAC’s X-ray laser are revealing their secrets.
Illustration of skyrmions -- little whirlpools of magnetism formed by the spins of atoms.
October 7, 2021
News Feature
Department of Energy gives green light for a flagship petawatt laser facility at SLAC
High-power lasers will work in concert with the lab’s X-ray laser to dramatically improve our understanding of matter in extreme conditions.
diamond rain
September 9, 2021
News Feature
After 20 years of trying, scientists succeed in doping a 1D chain of cuprates
The chemically controlled chains reveal an ultrastrong attraction between electrons that may help cuprate superconductors carry electrical current with no loss at relatively high temperatures.
An illustration showing a 1D chain of carbon and oxygen molecules with red springs representing natural vibrations in their atomic lattice.
August 2, 2021
News Feature
Ilya Belopolski wins 2021 Spicer Young Investigator Award for work on exotic quantum materials
Belopolski has made key discoveries about Weyl semimetals and topological magnets, systems in which quantum effects produce new emergent particles with exotic electronic and magnetic properties.
Portrait of Ilya Belopolski
July 19, 2021
News Feature
Scientists discover how high-energy electrons strengthen magnetic fields
The research could lead to a better understanding of extreme astrophysical environments and the development of compact high-energy radiation sources for science.
high-energy electrons strengthen magnetic fields
July 8, 2021
News Feature
A detailed study of nickelate’s magnetism finds a strong kinship with cuprate superconductors
Nickelate materials give scientists an exciting new window into how unconventional superconductors carry electric current with no loss at relatively high temperatures.
Illustration showing nickelate and cuprate superconductors as cartoon characters that are either close friends holding hands or neighbors talking over a fence.
April 21, 2021
News Feature
Scientists glimpse signs of a puzzling state of matter in a superconductor
Known as “pair-density waves,” it may be key to understanding how superconductivity can exist at relatively high temperatures.
Illustration depicting how two types of waves within superconducting materials intertwine to form a third type known as charge-density waves
April 12, 2021
News Feature
In a first, scientists watch 2D puddles of electrons spontaneously emerge in a 3D superconducting material
It’s an example of how surprising properties can spontaneously emerge in complex materials – a phenomenon scientists hope to harness for novel technologies.
Illustration of a 2D superconducting state emerging in a 3D superconductor
February 2, 2021
News Feature
A new hands-off probe uses light to explore the subtleties of electron behavior in a topological insulator
Just as pressing a guitar string produces a higher pitch, sending laser light through a material can shift it to higher energies and higher frequencies. Now scientists have discovered how to use this phenomenon to explore quantum materials in a new and much more detailed way.
Illustration of high harmonic generation in a topological insulator using circularly polarized laser light

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