Condensed Matter Physics: Experimental

1. Overview

2. Faculty in this Area of Research:

• Alphabetical
• By Area of Research

3. Division of Atomic, Condensed Matter, and Plasma Physics: Areas of Research

1. Overview

As in other fields of physics, progress in condensed matter may result from new technology. For example, the capability developed by the electronics industry of making semiconductor and metal structures on the nanometer length scale has made possible the subfield that makes up much of what is now called nanoscience. Our Department enjoys a leadership role in this area, with Kastner and Ashoori working on semiconductor nanostructures, including single electron transistors and capacitors, and Dresselhaus a leader in the field of carbon nanotubes.

The MIT Condensed Matter Physics group has enjoyed a tradition of close collaboration and mutual stimulation between theorists and experimenters. An example of such synergism is the prediction by P. Lee and the first observation by Kastner’s group of a low energy resonance in quantum dots due to spin fluctuations of the confined electron.

A second major focus of the condensed matter physics group is on strongly correlated electronic materials related to high T_C superconductors. On the experimental side, Y. Lee is performing neutron and X-ray scattering, as well as thermal and transport measurements on novel superconductors and frustrated quantum magnets. He also leads an effort focused on growing single crystals of these correlated electron systems and also synthesizing new compositions of matter. Recent advances in scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) have made possible the measurement of local electronic density with atomic resolution down to millikelvin temperatures, allowing the study of vortices and impurities in the high T_C superconductors. Hudson is creating a state-of-the-art STM lab to study high T_C and other strongly correlated electronic systems.

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2a. Experimental Condensed Matter Physics Faculty: Alphabetical Listing

• Raymond Ashoori
  
  
• Robert J. Birgeneau
  
  
• Mildred S. Dresselhaus
  
  
• Nuh Gedik
• Thomas J. Greytak [see AMO: Atomic Physics]
  
  
• Eric W. Hudson
  
  
• Karl U. Ingard
• Erich Ippen [see AMO: Optical Physics]
  
  
• Pablo Jarillo-Herrero
  
  
• Marc A. Kastner
  
  
• Benjamin Lax
• Young S. Lee
  
  
• Peter A.Wolff
  

Italicized names denote emeriti faculty.

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2b. Experimental Condensed Matter Physics Faculty: by Area of Research

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3. Division of Atomic, Condensed Matter, and Plasma Physics: Areas of Research

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