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R. G. Herb Condensed Matter Seminars

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Events on Thursday, May 8th, 2014

On the way to understanding quantum matter: The death and rebirth of quasiparticles
Time: 10:00 am
Place: 5310 Chamberlin Hall
Speaker: Peter Wolfle
Abstract: The low energy excitations of quantum matter generally have particle-like character. Their existence allows a relatively simple and economical description of thermodynamic and transport properties of condensed matter at low temperatures. However, the stability of these quasiparticles may be destroyed by fluctuations, e.g. at a classical or quantum phase transition into an ordered state. Inside the ordered phase the quasiparticles may be reborn in different form, together with other kinds of new quasiparticles. Examples are quantum phase transitions of metals into an antiferromagnetic or into a superconducting/superfluid state. Fluctuations may be also enhanced by dimensional reduction or by frustrating interactions, leading to the appearance of new types of quasiparticles. As examples one-dimensional quantum wires and the fractional quantum Hall effect will be considered,where “holons” and “spinons” , composite fermions and fractionally charged quasiparticles can be found
Host: Perkins
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