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Description
The strong Coulomb interactions between many electrons in solids can induce many fascinating phenomena, such as magnetism, high-temperature superconductivity, and electron fractionalization. In 1963, physicists developed a model, known as the Hubbard model, to describe such interactions in a highly simplified manner. The deceptively simple model is, however, difficult to solve accurately even with modern-day supercomputers. The physical realizations and thus simulations of the Hubbard model therefore have a vital role to play in solving this important problem. Moiré materials, metamaterials built on artificial “moiré atoms”, have emerged as a promising Hubbard model simulator in recent years. In this talk, I will discuss recent efforts on simulating the Hubbard model in moiré semiconductors, with a particular focus on the problem of high-temperature superconductivity.
About the Speaker:
Kin Fai Mak obtained a PhD in physics from Columbia University in 2010 after completing a B.S. in Physics and Mathematics from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in 2005. He is currently the Josephson Family Professor in Cornell University and also, since 2014, a scientific member and director of Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter in Germany. He is the recipient of many awards and honors including PRISM -Prize of the Institute of Structure of Matter, ISM-CNR- Senior category (2025), Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Experimental Physics Investigators Award (2022), Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award (2021), and many more. His fields of expertise include two-dimensional quantum materials and heterostructures, Spectroscopy, Exciton physics, Strong correlation physics, Berry curvature effects on optical and electrical phenomena, Magnetism, and Unconventional superconductivity.
