April 17 - 23, 2021
April 17 - 23, 2021 (Virtual)
2021 MRS Spring Meeting

Symposium CT04-Predictive Synthesis and Decisive Characterization of Emerging Quantum Materials

Quantum materials are a broad category of materials system in condensed matter physics, where the materials behaviors are governed by quantum phenomena that emerge from the complex interactions between the orbital, charge, lattice and spin degrees of freedom within the broad framework of symmetry and topology. In recent years, quantum materials are attracting enormous attention due to the enormous fundamental breakthroughs and meanwhile promising applications of manipulating dissipationless electronic states to embrace quantum information era. Given these rapid developments in quantum materials, we feel obliged to organize a symposium to address the vast opportunities and challenges, particularly how characterization can be augmented by theory and modeling, and how multi-modal characterizations can be combined with each other for a more conclusive evidence of the presence or absence of emergent quantum states. We envision this symposium to highlight most recent progress, applications and forefront challenges in synthesizing various types of quantum materials, such as novel semiconductors and metals with non-trivial topology, in bulk, thin film and two-dimensional forms. We emphasize the recent progress in materials characterization methods, such as angular-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), x-ray free electron lasers, (in)elastic neutron scattering, among other emerging novel spectroscopies. Particular attention will be paid to the emerging new tools for quantum materials which are unavailable or impractical even a few years ago, such as 4-probe Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) with in-situ transport, as well as “automated” thin-film growth and characterization with real-time feedback & control, such as high-throughput pulsed lased deposition (PLD) techniques and directed atomic-manipulation using a scanning transmission electron-microscope (STEM). The goal of this symposium is to provide an interactive forum to facilitate materials scientists in various fields to quickly digest the exciting recent progress of quantum materials with reduced knowledge barrier and identify new opportunities. Specific sessions will be organized regarding the scientific theme topics rather than with the similarity of a category of materials to benefit cross-fertilization.

Topics will include:

  • Predictive modeling (e.g. computational screening, rational design, machine-learning, multiscale/stochastic modeling of growth) of quantum materials, multimodal characterizations, and response to external fields, leading to new material discovery, design and control.
  • Hallmark characterization techniques and augmented novel synthesis on quantum materials (e.g. unconventional superconductors, quantum spin liquids, topological phases of matters, 2D ferromagnets and antiferromagnets).
  • High-precision growth and characterization of thin films and heterostructures toward quantum control and manipulation.
  • Multimodal 2D materials for fundamental quantum properties exploration.
  • Harvesting defects and interfaces for quantum control and manipulation.
  • State-of-the-art photoemission spectroscopies and their role for band topology studies.
  • State-of-the-art x-ray scattering to explore the interplay between the charge, spin and orbital degrees of freedom.
  • Neutron scattering measurement to study the magnetic properties and exotic excitations in materials.
  • Ultrafast x-ray free electron laser or electron diffraction/microscopy for quantum materials properties far away from equilibrium.

Invited Speakers:

  • Alan Aspuru-Guzik (University of Toronto, Canada)
  • Bogdan A. Bernevig (Princeton University, USA)
  • Francois Bocquet (Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Germany)
  • Yue Cao (Argonne National Laboratory, USA)
  • Cui-Zu Chang (The Pennsylvania State University, USA)
  • Yulin Chen (Oxford University, United Kingdom)
  • Valeria del Campo (Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Chile)
  • Claudia Felser (Max Planck Institute, Germany)
  • Brent Fultz (California Institute of Technology, USA)
  • Jung-Woo Lee (University of Wisconsin–Madison, USA)
  • An-Ping Li (Oak Ridge National Laboratory, USA)
  • Vidya Madhavan (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA)
  • Joel Moore (University of California, Berkeley, USA)
  • Prineha Narang (Harvard University, USA)
  • Ni Ni (University of California, Los Angeles, USA)
  • Brenda Rubenstein (Brown University, USA)
  • Angel Rubio (Max Planck Institute, Germany)
  • Suchitra Sebastian (Cambridge University, United Kingdom)
  • Xiaozhe Shen (SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, USA)
  • Nicola Spaldin (ETH Zürich, Switzerland)
  • Liuyan Zhao (University of Michigan, USA)

Symposium Organizers

Hua Zhou
Argonne National Laboratory
Advanced Photon Source
USA

Panchapakesan Ganesh
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
USA

Mingda Li
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
USA

Kate Ross
Colorado State University
Department of Physics
USA

Topics

2D materials electrical properties epitaxy Hall effect heterostructure magnetic properties quantum materials spectroscopy superconducting