Wed, Sep 9 — Ming Yi
Affiliation:Rice University
Time: 4:00 PM
Location: C215 ESC
or Live Online
Finding correlated electrons on geometrically frustrated lattices
The properties of a material are often thought to be determined primarily by the elements from which it is made. But what happens when the geometry of a crystal lattice itself becomes a source of new quantum phenomena? In this talk, I will explore this question through the physics of kagome metals—materials whose atoms form a network of corner-sharing triangles. The kagome lattice provides a remarkable example of how geometry can reshape the electronic landscape of a metal. Quantum interference between electronic pathways produces nearly flat electronic bands, while the same lattice can host Dirac-like band crossings and van Hove singularities, where the density of electronic states becomes strongly enhanced. These features can dramatically amplify the effects of interactions between electrons, creating an unusually rich environment for collective quantum phenomena. Kagome materials have consequently emerged as a platform for studying charge-density waves, magnetism, unconventional superconductivity, nematicity, anomalous Hall responses, and other forms of intertwined and potentially topological order. I will discuss how these ideas emerge from the electronic structure and how they manifest experimentally in real materials. In particular, I will highlight recent work from my group using the experimental technique of angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) to directly visualize the electronic states of several kagome metals and to follow their evolution across the various phase transitions. These experiments reveal an intimate connection between the underlying band structure and the collective behavior of the electrons, while also highlighting the ways in which real materials can depart from simple theoretical pictures.
Biographical Sketch:
Ming Yi is an Associate Professor of Physics at Rice University. She started her faculty position at Rice in 2019 after obtaining a PhD in physics at Stanford and finishing a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California Berkeley. Her research group is interested in utilizing and expanding the technique of angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy to probe and understand strongly correlated quantum materials.
Wed, Sep 16 — Kent Gee
Affiliation:BYU Physics and Astronomy
Time: 4:00 PM
Location: C215 ESC
or Live Online
Wed, Sep 30 — Chad Orzel
Affiliation:Union College
Time: 4 pm
Location: C215 ESC
or Live Online
Wed, Oct 7 — Dwain Desbian
Affiliation:Estrella County Community College
Time: 4 pm
Location: C215 ESC
or Live Online
Physics teaching
All are welcome to attend. Speakers generally keep presentations accessible to undergraduate physics students.