Stanford University Department of Applied Physics

Condensed Matter Physics

Developing and characterizing novel materials; quantum many-body physics; nanoscale and ultrafast probes; applications ranging from energy science to molecular and cellular biology.

Featured AP Faculty

Malcolm R. Beasley

Recent studies have indicated that no known superconductor is able to meet the needs of electric power applications above liquid nitrogen temperature and therefore a new high temperature superconductor is required. Along with three other universiti... More >>
Sebastian Doniach

I am working on the overlap between statistical mechanics and biomolecular kinetics in terms of analytic solutions of the Fokker Planck equation for simplifies models of molecular motion. This work is being done in collaboration with Joel Franklin of... More >>
Daniel S. Fisher

Research in theoretical condensed matter physics in recent years has included: dynamics of glasses, phase transitions and dynamics of quantum and classical disordered materials, and quantum dissipation in superconductors. More >>
Shanhui Fan

Some of the theoretical and computational techniques are directly borrowed from condensed matter theory. The applications of these techniques into photonics area also deepen one's understanding of many of the issues in theoretical and computational c... More >>
Ian R. Fisher

Our research group is based in the Geballe Laboratory for Advanced Materials at Stanford University. In broad terms, we study materials with unconventional magnetic and electronic properties, with the general aim of obtaining a deeper understanding o... More >>
David Goldhaber-Gordon

The primary focus of the Goldhaber-Gordon lab is the experimental investigation of condensed matter physics in low-dimensional materials. Our current experiments cover an extensive range of materials and physical systems. Utilizing the resources of t... More >>
Theodore H. Geballe

There are regions in the phase diagrams of the high Tc cuprate superconductors where tantalizing clues of strong new pairing mechanisms exist. I collaborate with Ian Fisher, and Wendy Mao using chemical and high pressure techniques, and with Mac Beas... More >>
Tony Heinz

We are interested in the fundamental properties of electronic states and phonons in novel nanoscale materials and structures, including carbon nanotubes, graphene, and the transition metal dichalcogenides, such as MoS2. We examine the materials prim... More >>
Harold Y. Hwang

Materials physics: Probing correlated electrons at artificial interfaces and in confined systems; Atomic scale synthesis and control of complex oxide heterostructures; Low-dimensional superconductivity; Novel devices based on interface states in oxid... More >>
Aharon Kapitulnik

Condensed matter physics; Physics of low-dimensional systems; Disordered and Strongly correlated electron systems; Superconductivity, magnetism, quantum phase transitions. More >>
Young Lee

The Lee group's research involves studies of novel electronic and magnetic materials in single crystalline form. The goal is to understand the properties of correlated electron systems and quantum spin systems, with an eye toward discovering new mate... More >>
Benjamin Lev

Our research projects aim to create novel quantum mesophases---quantum liquid crystals, superglasses---through the introduction to the ultracold atomic physics toolbox of 1) long-range, anisotropic interactions via laser-cooled dipolar dysprosium gas... More >>
Kathryn A. Moler

My group and I develop nanomagnetic probes for fundamental studies in experimental condensed matter physics. More >>
David A. Reis

My research interests include ultrafast processes in the solid state and fundamental light-matter interactions. My group investigates nonequilibrium dynamics in solids with atomic level spatial and temporal resolution. Of particular interest are ult... More >>
Zhi-Xun Shen

Quantum many-body physics in strongly-correlated electron and other novel quantum systems. Examples include high-temperature superconductors, Fe-pnictide superconductors, topological quantum matter, density wave materials, quantum system with constr... More >>
Yuri Suzuki

My group studies novel ground states and functionality in thin films and heterostructures. We exploit recent advances in atomically precise heteroepitaxy of complex oxides to develop new materials and to probe novel interface phenomena. Many of these... More >>
Yoshihisa Yamamoto

Dynamical condensation and superfluidity of exciton polaritons. BKT phase transition and BCS crossover. Quantized vortex-pairs and Bogoliubov excitation spectrum. Quantum simulation of Ising model and Hubbard model with exciton polariton condensate... More >>
Shoucheng Zhang

Theoretical condensed matter physics including the Chern-Simons-Landau-Ginzburg theory of the quantized Hall effect, the global phase diagram and the universality of the phase transitions in quantum Hall systems. Novel superfluid phase of helium abso... More >>

Additional Stanford/SLAC Faculty

Steven A. Kivelson

I am interested in the qualitative understanding of the macroscopic and collective properties of condensed matter systems, and on the relation between this and the microscopic physics at the single electron or single molecule scale. I have been parti... More >>
Hari Manoharan

Throughout history, humans have sought to expand their mastery of the material world. Our ability to manipulate matter has been continuously refined, extending to constructions of colossal size and extreme complexity. Progress in the diametric dire... More >>
Xiao-Liang Qi

Topological phenomena are the phenomena which are determined by some topological structure in the physical system, which are thus usually universal and robust against perturbations. For example, two famous topological phenomena are the flux quantizat... More >>
Thomas P. Devereaux

My group develops numerical methods and theories of photon-based spectroscopies of strongly correlated materials. The goal of his research is to understand electron dynamics via a combination of analytical theory and numerical simulations to provide ... More >>
Wendy L. Mao

Our group is studying the behavior of materials at extreme conditions (i.e. high pressure, variable temperature, high radiation fluxes) with application to condensed matter physics and chemistry. In particular we are looking at strongly correlated sy... More >>
Evan J. Reed

We are engaged in theory and modeling for ultrafast science, photonics, electronics, and materials under extreme conditions of temperature and pressure. Recent research topics include shock and other forms of dynamic compression of materials, ultraf... More >>
Alexander L. Fetter

My work over the past decade has focused on the behavior of ultra-cold dilute quantum gases. This rapidly evolving area has spanned the fields of atomic physics and condensed matter physics, borrowing from both, with many spectacular new results. I a... More >>
Steven M. Block

The Block lab, which carries out research in the area of single molecule biophysics, explores the nanoscience of life. Nature’s own nanoscale machines, which include proteins and nucleic acids, are complex macromolecules that are exquisitely ‘de... More >>
Douglas D. Osheroff

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Vijay S. Pande

My research centers around the statistical mechanics of soft materials, including proteins, DNA, and lipid membranes. More >>
Jelena Vuckovic

Density of phonon states in nanostructures, phonon-photon interaction in semiconductor quantum dots. More >>
Surya Ganguli

We employ techniques from statistical mechanics, like replica theory and random matrix theory, to analyze the complex dynamics of learning, signal propagation and memory in neuronal networks. We also have an interest in exploiting statistical mechan... More >>
William Greenleaf

The cell faces a spectacular topological challenge in packing meters of chromosomal DNA inside a ~5 micron nucleus. The solution to this challenge is the hierarchical folding of genomic DNA into regulated structures, from DNA-wrapped histone particle... More >>
Philip H. Bucksbaum

I have an interest in elemental condensed systems in extreme environments produced by laser interactions. I have studied extremely undercooled silicon, and I am currently reviving my interest in this due to new opportunities to study ultracold syste... More >>
Mark A. Kasevich

Quantum simulation with atomic systems. More >>

centerfornanoscale

$10$ ^-8

sensitivity (radians) in cryogenic Kerr/Faraday measurements by Kapitulnik Lab.

$10$ ^-23

target strain sensitivity (near 0.006 Hz, for detecting small black hole capture) of the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna

Related Facilities/Programs

Featured Courses

Recent Graduates

Celaschi, Sergio
Rosenberg, Aaron

Dissertation: Local Control of Magnetic Anisotropy
Panchula, Alex
Feng, Albert Zhuoluo
Plonka, Nachum
Scaccabarozzi, Luigi

Dissertation: Aluminum Gallium Arsenide/Aluminum Oxide-Based Submicron Waveguides and Resonant Cavities for Non-Linear Optics
Lu, Mingwu

Dissertation: Quantum Bose and Fermi Gases of Dysprosium: Production and Initial Study
Samulon, Eric

Dissertation: Magnetic Phases of the Frustrated Spin Dimer Compound Ba3Mn2O8
Vishik, Inna

Dissertation: Distinguishing Electronic Phases in Cuprates Using ARPES
Sebastian, Suchitra

Dissertation: Bose-Einstein Condensation in Spin Dimer Compounds
Hoke, Eric

Dissertation: Factors that Influence the Open Circuit Voltage and Stability of Polymer: Fullerene Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells
He, Ruihua

Dissertation: Experimental Studies of High-Tc Cuprate Superconductors with Density Wave Correlations
Burkhard, George

Dissertation: Exciton Recombination in the Fullerene Phase of Bulk Heterojunction Organic Solar Cells
Black-Schaffer, Annica

Dissertation: Electronic Correlations and Superconductivity in Graphite and Graphene
Jura, Michael

Dissertation: Imaging Electron Flow, Interference, and Interactions in High-Mobility Two-Dimensional Electron Gases
Hicks, Clifford W.

Dissertation: Scanning SQUID Microscopy on Iron-Pnicide & Time-Reversal-Symmetry-Breaking Superconductors
Chabot-Couture, Guillaume

Dissertation: Synchrotron X-ray Scattering Studies of Anomalous Oxygen Order in Superconducting Mercury Barium Copper Oxide & of Charge-transfer Excitations in Related Undoped Lamellar Copper Oxides
Cizek, Nick

Dissertation: Interplay of Attractive Interactions and Trap Anisotropy in Bose-Einstein Condensates