Research

In addition to supporting the faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate students involved in this research at the Institute, FTPI also hosts short-term and long-term visitors and organizes workshops on topics of acute interest in the major areas of study.

The High Energy Theory Group focuses on understand the fundamental forces of nature and cosmology. The unification of the electromagnetic and weak nuclear force is well understood and is continually being tested experimentally. Among the objectives of the group in Minnesota is to push our understanding beyond the Standard Model of electroweak interactions. The strong nuclear force is inherently more complicated and understand the nature of strongly interacting systems  is another major objective of the group.

Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology is another aspect of High Energy theory as the Universe provides a laboratory for studying particle interactions at energies much higher than can be achieved experimentally. Topics which are actively pursued include, inflation, the baryon asymmetry, dark matter, nucleosynthesis and large scale structure.

As condensed matter theorists, one of our main goals is to understand how the microscopic behavior of a very large number of atoms or molecules is related to the macroscopic properties of solids and liquids. While this certainly applies to objects common in our daily lives, such as kitchen salt or water, we are also interested in quantum versions of solids, liquids, and gases. For example, the properties of many metals are well described in terms of a gas of nearly independent electrons, whereas in other systems the electron-electron interaction is so significant that they behave as strongly correlated quantum liquids.

At first sight, the problem may seem deceivingly straightforward, after all, the ions and electrons forming the atoms only talk to each other via the good old electrostatic repulsion. However, it turns out that the quantum-mechanical collective behavior of condensed matter systems is often very different than just the simple sum of its constituents. This phenomenon, called emergence, is behind many unique and fascinating properties, among which superconductivity is perhaps the best known.

Condensed matter theory is a very broad area, that ranges from concrete applications to more abstract models. At the University of Minnesota, we have a vibrant condensed matter theory group working on a diverse set of topics, such as quantum materials, superconductivity, liquid crystals, quantum magnets, topological quantum matter, disordered systems, and non-equilibrium physics. We also enjoy frequent collaborations with the condensed matter experimental group, creating an engaging atmosphere to perform research in this field.