Colloquium: Patrick A. Lee, MIT

There will be a formal presentation of the Anatoly Larkin Award at the start of Colloquium.

Professor Lee is a pioneer in "mesoscopic physics," the study of small devices at low temperatures.

"An overview of quantum spin liquid: standing on the shoulder of a giant named Anatoly"

Abstract: I shall review the current status of quantum spin liquid, particularly the gapless variety which is described by emergent gauge fields and fermionic particles called spinons. The theory has benefited greatly by the insight of Anatoly Larkin on the role of gauge field fluctuations, leading to the famous Ioffe-Larkin rule. I shall review the status of several promising experimental candidates and describe some proposals to experimentally access the spinons as well as the gauge field.