Date/Time Date(s) - 07/12/20163:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Title: Miracle of the spin 1/2: from high temperature superconductivity to spin liquid
Speaker: Dr. Takashi Imai
Institute: McMaster University
Location: ABB 102
Description:
Electrons have a spin 1/2, the simplest example of generalized angular momentum taught in undergraduate quantum mechanics. Despite their deceivingly simple representations by 2×2 matrices, spin ½â??s arranged in a regular pattern in low dimensional solids exhibit amazingly rich physics owing to strong quantum effects. I will describe a highly biased overview of how spin ½ physics evolved in quantum condensed matter physics over the last 3 decades, taking examples from our NMR research into high temperature superconductors and quantum Heisenberg antiferromagnets.