Research
The QMD group studies quantum materials' dynamics under extreme low temperatures and high pressures. Using ultrashort light pulses in the THz, optical, and x-ray ranges, we investigate these systems' responses after ultrafast perturbations. Our goal is to understand the macroscopic properties and complex phase diagrams of materials like Mott insulators and spin-ladder compounds by decoupling the effects of different degrees of freedom.
THz Induced Dynamics in Mott Insulators
A canonical example of a quantum material is a Mott Insulator. A key feature of these systems is the insulator-to-metal transition that occurs when the balance between on-site coulomb repulsion and electron hoping is altered by parameters such as temperature, doping, pressure, photo-excitation or short electric field pulses. This transition has been observed in materials such as chalcogenides, oxides, and molecular crystals. We aim to explore whether and how intense THz pulses can also trigger these transitions, on picosecond timescales.
If you wish to know more about this project, please contact Rossella Acampora
Material Dynamics under Pressure
Applying pressure to quantum materials can modify the properties of the system and even induce a phase transition. Specifically, pressure is a parameter that can be used to fine tune the ground state, thereby allowing for precise control of the state of the system before it is brought out of equilibrium by an ultrashort light pulse. We combine temperature and pressure to span the complex phase diagrams of quantum materials and study their dynamics following photoexcitation.
If you wish to know more about this project, please contact Tim Suter or Zia Macdermid.
Control of superconductivity in spin-ladder compounds
Superconductivity in low-dimensional spin-ordered systems has been theoretically predicted and experimentally observed in several spin-ladder compounds for the past three decades. Spin-ladder compounds are materials where ions are arranged in a ladder-like structure of coupled spin chains. We focus on investigating potential pathways to superconductivity in quasi-1D spin-ordered ladder systems through photoexcitation.
If you wish to know more about this project, please contact Janine Zemp.