SFB 1238:  Control and Dynamics of Quantum Materials

• Subject Area: Physics ; Chemistry ; Materials Science and Engineering
• Term: since 2016
• Website: Homepage
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 277146847

Discoveries in basic science have paved the way for the majority of present-day technologies. Quantum materials, operating under the principles of quantum mechanics, offer a fertile ground for exploring new and unexpected phenomena, often arising from relativistic spin-orbit coupling and strong interactions of electrons. It is the mission of this collaborative research center (CRC) to discover, understand, and control novel physical properties in quantum materials emerging from the interplay between topology, spin-orbit coupling, and correlations. Over the past funding period our field has seen remarkable progress to which our CRC contributed in a substantial way. These developments are mirrored in four focus areas (FAs) which define our multifaceted approach to research on quantum materials. A central element of our research agenda is the interplay of spin-orbit coupling and strong electron-electron interactions, leading to topological phases, emergent gauge fields, and fractionalization. This point of view is emphasized by the FA “Spin-orbit dominated matter”. The FA “Topology and hybrid devices” explores novel effects arising when different quantum and topological materials are combined together in a single device. In the FA “2D materials and functionalization”, we take advantage of the fact that two-dimensional quantum materials can be controlled much more precisely than their 3D counterparts. Finally, the FA “Driven and active matter” explores pump-probe and non-linear spectroscopy and presents a new vision on physics far from thermal equilibrium, introducing “active quantum matter”. Guided by the analogy to biological systems, we design non-equilibrium states where topological defects are forced to move by the collective dynamics of the driven system. The CRC capitalizes on the close links between the four FAs. We have put together an outstanding team of scientists from experimental and theoretical physics, as well as crystallography in Cologne, complemented by excellent scientists with indispensable expertise from the Universities of Bonn and Bochum, and the Forschungszentrum Jülich. In the previous two funding periods, a total of eleven researchers working as postdocs or project leaders (PL) in the CRC moved on to tenure-track or tenured professor positions. Three new early-career PLs will join us, introducing fresh expertise and contributing in a foundational way to the shaping of our future research program. These developments are part of our strategy to support and promote early-career scientists. Our agenda is complemented by a vigorous gender and family support program, an improved and strongly extended data management program, as well as a broad set of outreach and career development measures.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres

Current projects

• A01 - Architecting 2D heterostructures for the control of electronic, optical and magnetic properties (Project Heads Grüneis, Alexander ;  Kurzmann, Annika ;  Lindfors-Vrejoiu, Ionela ;  Michely, Thomas Werner )
• A02 - Crystal growth and design of materials (Project Heads Becker-Bohatý, Petra ;  Braden, Markus ;  Lorenz, Thomas )
• A04 - Topological matter (Project Heads Ando, Yoichi ;  Breunig, Oliver ;  Taskin, Alexey )
• B01 - Transport and thermodynamics (Project Heads Ando, Yoichi ;  Breunig, Oliver ;  Lorenz, Thomas )
• B03 - Inelastic photon scattering in spin-orbit-coupled matter (Project Heads Grüninger, Markus ;  van Loosdrecht, Paul H. M. )
• B04 - Dynamics and correlations studied by neutron scattering (Project Head Braden, Markus )
• B05 - Optically driven matter (Project Head van Loosdrecht, Paul H. M. )
• B06 - Scanning tunneling spectroscopy (Project Heads Brede, Jens ;  Michely, Thomas Werner ;  Wouter, Jolie )
• B07 - Static and dynamic control of excitations in topological quantum matter (Project Heads Bocquillon, Erwann ;  Hemberger, Joachim )
• C01 - Structure inversion-asymmetric matter and spin-orbit phenomena from ab-initio (Project Heads Atodiresei, Nicolae ;  Blügel, Stefan )
• C02 - Spin-orbit driven topological and correlated states and Dirac matter (Project Heads Rosch, Achim ;  Scherer, Michael ;  Trebst, Simon )
• C03 - Dynamics and fractionalization in spin-orbit entangled matter (Project Heads Diehl, Sebastian ;  Hickey, Ciarán ;  Seifert, Urban ;  Trebst, Simon )
• C04 - Active quantum matter (Project Heads Diehl, Sebastian ;  Rosch, Achim )
• C05 - Driven quantum matter (Project Head Kollath, Corinna )
• Z - Central Tasks (Project Head Rosch, Achim )

Completed projects

• B02 - From mHz to PHz: Broadband dielectric and optical spectroscopy of quantum matter (Project Heads Grüninger, Markus ;  Hemberger, Joachim )

• Applicant Institution: Universität zu Köln
• Participating Institution: Forschungszentrum Jülich
• Participating University: Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn; Ruhr-Universität Bochum
• Spokespersons: Professor Dr. Paul H. M. van Loosdrecht, until 6/2020; Professor Dr. Achim Rosch, since 7/2020