Quantum mechanics governing the behavior of atoms and electrons is embedded in the physical properties of all materials. However, at the macroscopic scale, many of them can be well approximated by classical theory. In contrast, the emergent behavior in Quantum Materials emphasize the intriguing prospect where quantum effects remain manifest even at an extended length scales, which is one major motif in quantum science and engineering.
Here in the Quantum Center of the Institute for Advanced Materials and Manufacturing (IAMM), we design and investigate materials which demonstrate quantum-ness in one way or another and seek to unveil the underlying organization principles of macroscopic quantum phenomena. We are actively pushing the research frontier of quantum materials by joint efforts in synthesis, computation, and a broad array of experimental probes.
A keystone for our activiities is the newly awarded University of Tennessee Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The Center for Advanced Materials and Manufacturing (CAMM) has a core focus on quantum materials and artificial intelligence and brings together researchers from across the country to develop AI as a transformative approach to understanding, designing, and synthesizing new quantum systems .
Our work is further benefited from close collaboration with the Materials Science and Technology Division in Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), as well as partnering with the Quantum Science Center, one of five Department of Energy national quantum science centers. Our research uses the World’s most powerful neutron sources, supercomputers, and nanotechnology capabilities, all located within 30 minutes by car from the University of Tennessee campus.