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Center for Nonlinear Studies |
In this talk I will describe recent interest, throughout condensed matter physics, in materials where relativistic spin-orbit coupling (SOC) is the dominant interaction. The effects of SOC are especially pronounced in 4d and 5d transition-metal compounds, which have large intrinsic atomic SOC due to their high atomic weight. In these systems, the strong SOC entangles spin and orbital degrees of freedom, leading to the appearance of a variety of interesting quantum and classical phases.
A number of 5d materials have been recently studied experimentally with the special interest to the iridium compound. This is because in many aspects the iridates are similar to the cuprates, and as such, are a potential platform to engineer high-temperature superconductivity in the presence of SOC. However, as there has been very little theory devoted to these systems, many of the observed phenomena still remained to be understood. In my talk, I will give an introduction to the underlying physics of the systems with strong SOC and show how novel quantum and classical states of matter arise in some particular cases.
Host: Cristian Batista