PhD Studentship: Detecting Fractionalization in Strongly Correlated Magnets

Campus: Loughborough

Closing date: 31 July 2022

Start date: 1 October 2022

Full-time/part-time availability: Full-time (3 years)

Name of primary supervisor: Dr Ioannis Rousochatzakis

Primary supervisor email address: I.Rousochatzakis@lboro.ac.uk

Primary supervisor telephone number: +44 (0)1509 223303

Link to supervisor's online staff profile page: https://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/physics/staff/ioannis-rousochatzakis/

Overview:

The project goal is to investigate realistic models of frustrated magnets of current interest and explore signatures of spin liquidity. Understanding the phenomenology of these materials and their proximity to spin liquid phases is indispensable for their future exploitation in quantum technologies and computing applications. The project will provide opportunities to endeavour into a very vibrant field of condensed matter research, acquire expertise in numerical methods (such as Monte Carlo, multiboson expansions, exact diagonalizations and typicality), and work on experimentally driven problems of growing interest.

Loughborough University has seen 94% of our research impact rated as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’, underlining the wide-ranging positive impacts that our research has on the world (REF, 2021). In choosing Loughborough for your research, you’ll work alongside academics who are leaders in their field. You will benefit from comprehensive support and guidance from our Doctoral College, including tailored careers advice, to help you succeed in your research and future career. Find out more.

Flexible working

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Project details:

According to Boltzmann statistics, matter tends to maximise its entropy at high temperatures and minimize its energy at low temperatures. A ferromagnet offers the simplest scenario for this battle between energy and entropy [1]: Below a characteristic temperature T_C, the underlying array of spins minimize their energy by aligning along a common direction, whereas above T_C spins fluctuate in random directions. Strongly correlated magnets offer a much richer scenario, as their energy can be minimised in an infinite number of ways. At low temperatures, such systems fluctuate over a macroscopic number of competing states and can thus evade long range ordering, opening the door for more exotic phases with long-range entanglement and fractionalized excitations [2,3]. This project will explore the experimental signatures of such systems using realistic microscopic models of materials of current interest, using a mix of analytical and numerical techniques [4].

References:
[1] L. Onsager, Phys. Rev. 65, 117 (1944)
[2] L. Balents, Nature 464, 199 (2010)
[3] I. Rousochatzakis, Y. Sizyuk, N. B. Perkins, Nat. Commun. 9, 1575 (2018)
[4] I. Rousochatzakis, S. Kourtis, J. Knolle, R. Moessner, N. B. Perkins, PRB 100, 045117 (2019)

Entry requirements:

Applicants should have, or expect to achieve, at least a 2:1 honours degree (or equivalent) in physics or a related subject. A relevant master’s degree and/or experience in physics will be an advantage.

English language requirements:

Applicants must meet the minimum English language requirements. Further details are available on the International website.

Funding information:

Please note that studentships will be awarded on a competitive basis to applicants who have applied to this project and other advertised projects within the School. Funding decisions will not be confirmed until early 2022. The studentship is for 3 years and provides a tax-free stipend of £15,609 per annum for the duration of the studentship, plus tuition fees at the UK rate. International (including EU) students may apply, however the total value of the studentship will cover the international tuition fee only.

Project search terms: condensed matter physics

How to apply:

All applications should be made online. Under programme name, select Physics. Please quote the advertised reference number IR/PH/2022 in your application.

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