Category archives: Quantum physics

Polariton anomalous Hall effect in transition-metal dichalcogenides

Polariton anomalous Hall effect in transition-metal dichalcogenides

Condensed matterMaterialsQuantum physics

By DIPC

Two-dimensional materials, such as transition-metal dichalcogenides embedded in optical cavities, stand out as an excellent platform where strong light-matter interactions can be studied. Moreover, their band structures bring about nontrivial topological features, including the possibility of inducing some really interesting ones, like the polariton anomalous Hall effect. But, before getting into that let’s go through […]

The protective effect of symmetry in entangled photonic states

The protective effect of symmetry in entangled photonic states

Condensed matterNanotechnologyQuantum physics

By DIPC

One of the most mysterious features of quantum mechanics is that if two particles (or photons) interact at some point in time then the properties of these particles will remain connected at future times. A consequence of this is that determining the quantum state of one of the particles simultaneously determines the quantum state of […]

Origin of the mysterious blue fluorescence of polymer carbon dots

Origin of the mysterious blue fluorescence of polymer carbon dots

ChemistryCondensed matterMaterialsNanotechnologyQuantum physics

By DIPC

A quantum dot is a nanometric crystalline structure of semiconductor materials. In a quatum dot electrons are confined in a region of space, thus creating a well defined structure of energy levels that depends very much on the size and shape of the quantum dot. This structure resembles that of atoms, that is why sometimes […]

Nonequilibrium effects in hybrids of electron systems with spontaneously broken symmetries

Nonequilibrium effects in hybrids of electron systems with spontaneously broken symmetries

Condensed matterMaterialsNanotechnologyQuantum physics

By DIPC

Imagine a military regiment in formation. That we will call symmetry. Now imagine the same regiment when it is dismissed by the commanding officer: at once the soldiers disperse and tend to form domains (groups) or pairs. Hence, we can say that the symmetry is spontaneously broken. Both superconductors and ferromagnets are examples of electron […]

Unlocking graphene’s spintronic potential through spin-valley coupling

Unlocking graphene’s spintronic potential through spin-valley coupling

Condensed matterMaterialsNanotechnologyQuantum physics

By Invited Researcher

Few materials have drawn as much attention as graphene, it fascinating attributes such as one-atom thickness and relativistic electrons, and its technological properties like transparency, large mechanical strength, and ultra-high electron’s mobility, position it as one of the more promising materials in the present. Recently, simultaneous experimental and theoretical studies have confirmed that combining graphene […]

A route to the directional control of light–matter interactions at the nanoscale

A route to the directional control of light–matter interactions at the nanoscale

Condensed matterMaterialsNanotechnologyQuantum physics

By DIPC

Mobile phones and computers are currently responsible for up to 8% of the electricity use in the world. This figure has been doubling each past decade but nothing prevents it from skyrocketing in the future. Unless we find a way for boosting energy efficiency in information and communications technology, that is. An international team of […]

Structurally well-defined boundaries in a fully accessible quantum spin Hall insulator

Structurally well-defined boundaries in a fully accessible quantum spin Hall insulator

MaterialsNanotechnologyQuantum physics

By DIPC

Imagine that we have a conductor or a semiconductor through which a current is flowing. Then we apply a strong transverse magnetic field. As a result, we can measure a potential difference at right angles to both the current and the field caused by the deflection of charge carriers by the field. This effect was […]

Topology of disconnected elementary band representations

Topology of disconnected elementary band representations

Condensed matterMaterialsPhysicsQuantum physicsTheoretical physics

By DIPC

The revolutionary theory of topological quantum chemistry , a description of the universal global properties of all possible band structures and materials, diagnoses topological phases based on elementary band representations. A set of bands is topological if it lacks an “atomic limit” that obeys the crystal symmetry (and time reversal, if desired): formally, an atomic […]

Surface-Enhanced Molecular Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy

Surface-Enhanced Molecular Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy

Condensed matterMaterialsNanotechnologyPhysicsQuantum physicsTheoretical physics

By DIPC

Chemists have a range of different spectroscopic techniques to study organic molecules. All of these techniques are based on spectra generated by a range of electronic transitions and vibrations, key excitations in matter, the study of which provides information about characteristics of materials and, therefore, allow their identification. In this context, one of those spectroscopic […]

HOTI bismuth

HOTI bismuth

Condensed matterMaterialsNanotechnologyPhysicsQuantum physicsTheoretical physics

By DIPC

The properties of bismuth have long defied classification, placing it in a category of its own. Now, as if it was not enough, it turns out its electronic structure has higher-order topology. This has been shown by an international team with the participation of Maia G. Vergniory (DIPC, Ikerbasque, UPV/EHU) and coordinated by Titus Neupert […]