Silke Buehler Paschen: Quantum materials: On the interplay of strong correlations and electronic topology

Institute of Solid State Physics, Vienna

University of Technology (TU Wien), Austria

Date: Thursday, March 6th, 2025

Location: Elings Hall, room 1601

Time: 11:30 am - 12:30 pm

Quantum materials: On the interplay of strong correlations and electronic topology

Abstract: Quantum materials manifest quantum effects in their macroscopic properties. A prime example are strongly correlated electron systems, in particular at quantum criticality. They show peculiar behavior – involving dynamical scaling and suppressed shot noise – that may well be manifestations of massive quantum entanglement. Recently, connection was made to another class of quantum materials – materials with nontrivial electronic topology. I will discuss how strong correlations enrich topology and highlight the observation of a new topological phase emergent from quantum criticality.

Bio: Silke Paschen is an experimental condensed matter physicist focusing on strongly correlated electron systems. After her graduation at the Graz University of Technology, her PhD at EPFL Lausanne and research stays at ETH Zurich, the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Solid State Physics in Dresden and Nagoya University, she was appointed full professor of physics at the Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien). Since 2017, she has held a dual appointment with Rice University. She is an APS Fellow and recipient of two ERC Advanced Grants. Her research ranges from materials synthesis to advanced physical property measurements under multiple extreme conditions. Her current topics of interest include quantum criticality, strange metal behavior, and correlation-driven topological phases, with focus on heavy fermion compounds and related quantum materials. An emerging theme in her research is the use of novel quantum informationinspired tools to probe the peculiar quantum nature in such materials.