Alex Sherlock, Becky Allen, and Harvey Stanfield

Lancaster University (Bailrigg, UK) | | Degree: MPhys Theoretical Physics
Quantum symmetry in Topological Insulators: A Novel in 3 Parts

Abstract

The Nobel Prize in Physics 2016 was awarded for the application of topology to physics. An experimental realisation of this is a new type of material called a 'topological insulator' (an insulator constrained by a feature of its topology). The simplest example of a topological insulator is a one-dimensional model called the SSH model. In our project, we studied an alternative model called the CDW model and found surprising new results [1]. Specifically, we studied the effects of introducing disorders to these models. A level of disorder may be present in materials due to things such as crystal defects in the material or caused by an external field; hence, the presence of this disorder is inevitable in physical realisations, and it is essential to understand their effects. Come to our talk to discover more.

Alex Sherlock, Becky Allen, and Harvey Stanfield