Lecture
Colloquium Ehrenfestii Dirk Morr (University of Chicago)
- Date
- Wednesday 17 January 2018
- Time
- Location
- Oort building
Niels Bohrweg 2
2333 CA Leiden - Room
- De Sitterzaal
Please register before noon on Tuesday 16 January
Title: The Ubiquity of Topology: of superconductors and heavy fermions
Abstract: Topology had provided us with a new approach to understanding the nature of complex systems, ranging from superconductors to heavy fermion materials. The topological phases of such systems exhibit new and unexpected phenomena, such as the emergence of Majorana modes near the edges and surfaces of topological superconductors.
These modes, in turn, hold the promise for realizing topological quantum computing,
and have therefore stimulated much efforts to create and manipulate Majorana states at
the nanoscale. At the same time, identifying those properties of topological phases that
provide unique experimental signatures has remained a major challenge.
In this talk, I review recent theoretical progress in exploring the unique properties of
topological phases, and their associated Majorana modes, and the experimental advances
in designing novel types of topological superconductors. Furthermore, I will discuss new
venues for manipulating Majorana modes at the nanoscale through dimensional tuning
and the creation of magnetic skyrmions. Finally, I will argue that the recent observation of
Dirac cones at the surface of SmB6 provide strong evidence for its nature as a topological
Kondo insulator.
Please note: The Colloquium Ehrenfestii takes place on Wednesday evenings starting at 19:30 hours in the main auditorium of the Oort building. Before the Colloquium, there is a common dinner in the canteen located on the ground floor of the Oort building. The dinner starts at 18:00 hours sharp and is free of charge, under the condition that one attends the colloquium and that one has made a reservation before noon on the Tuesday preceding the colloquium. The registration form is only accessible from within the University (to block spammers); if you would like to register for the dinner from outside the University, please send an email to fran@lorentz.leidenuniv.nl
The revolving doors to the Oort building are accessible until 9 pm after that they are locked and one should instead use the sliding doors directly adjacent to the Huygens building: these can be opened with an electronic key (seek help from locals).