Phase transitions and their related phenomena lie at the core of modern statistical mechanics and condensed matter physics. At equilibrium, an intriguing aspect of second-order phase transitions is that systems with distinct order parameters can be described by the same set of static critical exponents, a hallmark of universality. Thomas Kibble’s research on phase transitions […]
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 […]
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 […]
In the search for novel materials, the simulation of quantum matter is an extremely demanding computational task, which is expected to profit substantially from the surge of quantum technologies. Quantum algorithms for programmable quantum computers offer the most flexible approaches, but tailor-made quantum simulators are particularly well suited for large-scale simulations. For instance, tremendous efforts […]
A model of a physical system that can be solved exactly and the dynamics of which are characterized by regular rather than chaotic motion is called an integrable model. Integrable models can occur in Newtonian mechanics and quantum mechanics, with the harmonic oscillator being an example of such a model in both cases. Integrability has […]
In most physical systems, particles interact locally or at short distances only. Still, l ong-range interactions, like electromagnetic forces, play a crucial role in quantum physics and chemistry. They are a key ingredient for many phenomena, from molecular binding to high-temperature superconductivity. While their exact treatment in quantum many-body systems remains numerically challenging, analog quantum […]
It is very difficult to obtain exact solutions to systems involving interactions between more than two bodies, using either classical mechanics or quantum mechanics. To understand the physics of many-body systems, it is necessary to make use of approximation techniques or model systems that capture the essential physics of the problem. T he complexity of […]
The common understanding of the uncertainty relation says that it is impossible to measure both the position and the momentum of a subatomic particle, in the same instant to unlimited accuracy. The more accurate is the measurement of the momentum, the less accurate is the measurement of the position in that instant, and vice versa […]
When you first study electromagnetism, all the electromagnetic waves you find are plane ones, waves in which the electric and magnetic fields are both orthogonal to the direction of travel of the wave. But this is a mode – the field pattern of the propagating wave – that is somehow ideal, as it exists in […]
Many problems in science and engineering involve understanding how quickly a physical system transitions between distinguishable states and the energetic costs of advancing at a given speed. While theories such as thermodynamics and quantum mechanics put fundamental bounds on the dynamical evolution of physical systems, the form and function of the bounds differ. Rudolf Clausius’s […]