Novel Phases of Quantum Matter in Numerical Simulations, Field Theory and Materials

The research topics in this proposal although motivated by fundamental questions in physics, have a wide range of applicability. Research in condensed matter physics and materials science broadly leads to the discovery of new materials which in turn have time and again become the building blocks of new technologies. Research in computational physics has led to new algorithms that have wide applications in diverse fields of inquiry, including in engineering disciplines and some social sciences. The project will involve training a number of graduate and undergraduate students. These students will be trained in theoretical physics, advanced computational techniques and materials science, opening up a broad spectrum of career opportunities for them after graduation. The PI will also reach outside the University of Kentucky, by visiting various liberal arts colleges in the state of Kentucky (including Centre college in Danville KY and Berea College, Berea KY), giving popular level lectures on quantum physics and leading discussions with students on future opportunities in graduate school.