Quantum Materials: Transformational Opportunities for Fundamental Science and Applications

Quantum materials exhibit substantial quantum mechanical effects over energy, momentum, time or length scales, and are recognized worldwide as one of the hottest areas of current research. This intense interest is driven not only by their potential for providing new classes of materials platforms for exploring fundamental physics questions (e.g. electrodynamics with magnetic monopoles), but also for the transformational opportunities they offer for sparking the next technological revolution (e.g. room-temperature superconductors). Notable examples include two-dimensional (2D) materials, magnetic materials, superconductors, topological insulators, and Dirac/Weyl semimetals. I will discuss how quantum mechanics can fundamentally alter the physical properties of materials, and how the interplay of wavefunction topology and quantum interactions can generate exotic phases through external controls of electric/magnetic fields, strains, pressure, and photo- or chemical doping. I will also discuss my ongoing effort towards a realistic modelling of transport and spectroscopic properties of quantum materials. Such theoretical modelling is essential for robust interpretation of experimental results and for identifying areas of ever-increasing experimental phase space where further work will likely be most fruitful. Finally, I will comment on how quantum materials offer exciting new opportunities for fundamental physics and applications, and discuss my plans for building a quantum materials group with focus on topological materials.