Supervisor: Fabrizio Dolcini
The investigation of Topological Materials is one of the most fascinating topics in Quantum Physics. The properties of these systems are insensitive to microscopic details and are rather determined by the global topological structure of their Hamiltonian, which also implies the existence of peculiar states located on the material surface or boundaries, as observed in various experiments. The potential applications of these materials ranges from spintronics, to quantum electronics and quantum information.
However, while the characterization of topological materials is typically formulated and well established at equilibrium, their out of equilibrium properties represent a new frontier that needs to be explored. This is the subject of the proposed PhD Thesis. The PhD student will be involved in the theoretical modelling (analytical calculations and/or numerical simulations) of out of equilibrium properties of Topological materials, under various possible conditions:
- stationary transport (e.g. in hybrid junctions between a topological insulators, topological superconductors, Dirac and Weyl semimetals…)
- quantum quenches (when a sudden variation of the Hamiltonian parameters drives the systems out of the equilibrium state)
- non equilibrium coherent thermal effects in quantum systems
- opto-electronic effects in topological semimetals
We aim to predict the behavior of charge, spin, heat currents and their fluctuations.
The research topic involves both analytical calculations and numerical simulations. The comparison with realistic experimental situations will be considered. The PhD candidate is required to have a good command of Quantum Mechanics and solid state physics, to be eager to perform both analytical and numerical calculations, and to be available to spend some period visiting other research groups for collaborations both in Italy and abroad.
References
B.A. Bernevig et al., Science 314, 1757 (2006);
Nagaosa, Science 318, 758 (2007);
X-L. Qi and S.C. Zhang, Physics Today 63, 33 (2010);X-L. And S.C Zhang, Rev. Mod. Phys. 83, 1057 (2011);
Moore, Nature Physics 5, 378 (2009) and Nature 464, 194 (2010);
Büttiker, Science 325, 279 (2010);
Kane & Hasan, Rev. Mod. Phys. 82, 3045 (2010);
Alicea, Rep. Progr. Phys. 75, 076501 (2012);
Ando, Rep. Progr. Phys. 80, 076501 (2017);
Shankar, https://arxiv.org/abs/1804.06471.
- PE3_3 Transport properties of condensed matter
- PE3_6 Macroscopic quantum phenomena, e.g. superconductivity, superfluidity, quantum Hall effect
- PE3_10 Nanophysics, e.g. nanoelectronics, nanophotonics, nanomagnetism, nanoelectromechanics
- PE3_11 Mesoscopic quantum physics and solid-state quantum technologies
- PE2_18 Equilibrium and non-equilibrium statistical mechanics: steady states and dynamics