Author archives: DIPC

Engineering high Chern number materials

Engineering high Chern number materials

DIPC Advanced materialsMaterials

By DIPC

Some materials have special universal properties protected against perturbations. Such properties are theoretically described by topology, a branch of mathematics concerned with the properties of geometrical objects that are unchanged by continuous deformations. So-called topological insulators are electronic materials that have a bulk band gap like an ordinary insulator but have conducting states on their […]

Tunneling electrons excite a superconducting pair-breaking transition in the presence of magnetic impurities

Tunneling electrons excite a superconducting pair-breaking transition in the presence of magnetic impurities

Condensed matterDIPC Advanced materialsMaterialsQuantum physics

By DIPC

The development of superconducting devices was greatly stimulated after the acceptance of the basic theory of superconductivity proposed in 1957 by John Bardeen, Leon Cooper, and Robert Schrieffer – BCS theory. The basic idea is that the electron waves in the superconducting state no longer act independently, as in Bloch’s model. Instead, they are paired […]

Synthesis of thioether polymers on Au(111)

Synthesis of thioether polymers on Au(111)

CatalysisChemistryDIPC Electronic PropertiesDIPC InterfacesMaterials

By DIPC

Organic compounds of sulphur that contain the group -S- linked to two hydrocarbons are known as thioethers. This alternative name to sulphides comes from the fact that they are analogues of ethers in which the oxygen is replaced by a sulphur; thioethers are generally more reactive than ethers, though. The formation of thioether structures increases […]

Universal power-law Kibble-Zurek scaling in fast quenches

Universal power-law Kibble-Zurek scaling in fast quenches

DIPC Quantum SystemsPhysicsQuantum physics

By DIPC

Thomas Kibble’s research on phase transitions and topological defects is most significant. Actually, the Kibble-Zurek mechanism (KZM) is a paradigmatic theory to describe the dynamics across both classical continuous phase transitions and quantum phase transitions. The Kibble-Zurek mechanism describes the non-equilibrium dynamics and the formation of topological defects in a system which is driven through […]

Substrate dependency of the charge density wave orders of monolayer VSe<sub>2</sub>

Substrate dependency of the charge density wave orders of monolayer VSe2

Condensed matterDIPC Advanced materialsMaterials

By DIPC

Two-dimensional (2D) materials are an ideal platform to artificially engineer heterostructures with new functionalities due to the weak van der Waals bonding between layers. Monolayers hosting symmetry-broken phases, such as superconductivity, magnetism, ferroelectricity, charge density waves (CDWs), or multiferroicity, represent the most interesting building blocks to design novel phases of matter. One of the main […]

Development of a barium detector for a neutrinoless double beta decay

Development of a barium detector for a neutrinoless double beta decay

ChemistryDIPC BiochemistryDIPC InterfacesDIPC Particle PhysicsParticle physics

By DIPC

The observation of the neutrinoless double beta decay is the only practical way to establish that neutrinos are their own antiparticles. But, because of the small masses of neutrinos, the lifetime of neutrinoless double beta decay is expected to be at least ten orders of magnitude greater than the typical lifetimes of natural radioactive chains […]

Molecular bridges as tools to engineer quantum transport in nanoporous graphene

Molecular bridges as tools to engineer quantum transport in nanoporous graphene

DIPC Electronic PropertiesDIPC Quantum Systems

By DIPC

At the nanoscale, even the most basic quantum size effect, the induction of semiconducting gaps by electron confinement, requires ultimate precision. The case of graphene is a dramatic example, where deviations of a single atom in width can induce dramatic variations of the gap. As a consequence, local defects or variations in width can severely […]

The origin of the <i>lensing is low</i> problem

The origin of the lensing is low problem

AstrophysicsCosmologyDIPC Computational Cosmology

By DIPC

Recent studies have revealed that the bending of light around massive galaxies is significantly smaller relative to theoretical expectations. This finding, the so-called lensing is low problem, has been interpreted as a breakdown of our cosmological model. Now, a team of scientists has found that the mismatch between theory and observations is actually caused by […]