Correlated quantum materials

Abstract

This project focuses on some important problems in the physics of quantum materials. These are materials that allow us to explore emergent quantum phenomena with potential uses in future technologies. The types of systems to which we devote our efforts are transition metal oxides, heavy fermion systems, unconventional superconductors, quantum spin liquids, doped semiconductors, topological insulators, quantum Hall systems and others. We aim to focus, in particular, on (i) electronic correlation effects, (ii) disorder effects, (iii) topological properties, (iv) quantum thermodynamic aspects at the nanoscale, and (v) the development of numerical tools capable of addressing these challenging problems. We are interested in determining their phase diagrams, their thermodynamic and transport properties, their responses to external driving, both close and far from thermodynamic equilibrium, and the conditions under which some desired characteristic or behavior can be engineered or controlled. These goals involve both analytical approaches based on well-established tools (such as perturbation theory, the renormalization group, auxiliary particle approaches, and mean-field theory) as well as state-of-the art numerical techniques (such as density-matrix renormalization group, tensor network methods, Wilson's numerical renormalization group, Monte Carlo, and dynamical mean-field theory) and combinations thereof. The team involved in this project is composed of seven researchers from the Institute of Physics Gleb Wataghin of the University of Campinas and the Institute of Physics of the University of São Paulo. (AU)