2018 Physics/Theoretical Colloquium

Thursday, October 18th, 2018
3:45 – 4:45 p.m.
MSL Auditorium (TA-3, Bldg. 1698, Room A103)
Refreshments at 3:15pm
 

Speaker:   Dr. Wilton Kort-Kamp 
Theoretical Division, MS B262
Los Alamos National Laboratory
 

“Topological Phase Transitions in the Graphene Family: Photonic Spin Hall Effect and Casimir Forces”

 

Abstract:  

The recent synthesis of semiconductor two-dimensional materials of the graphene family unveiled a multitude of topological phase transitions due to a complex interplay between Dirac physics, topology, and spin-orbit coupling in these structures [1-5]. We review the optoelectronic properties of the graphene family and discuss the impact of electronic Hall phenomena in the spin Hall effect of light (SHEL) [1]. We discover that the SHEL is sensitive to the underlying topology of the graphene family and it opens up burgeoning opportunities to investigate spintronics and valleytronics in 2D semiconductors. We will also address fluctuation-induced forces between staggered semiconducting nanosheets, and show that topologically nontrivial phases enable repulsive and quantized Casimir interactions in these materials [2].

 

References

[1] W. Kort-Kamp. Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 147401 (2017).

[2] P. Rodriguez-Lopez, W. Kort-Kamp, D. Dalvit, and L. Woods. Nat. Comm. 8, 14699 (2017)

[3] P. Rodriguez-Lopez, W. Kort-Kamp, D. Dalvit, and L. Woods. Phys. Rev. Materials 2, 014003 (2018).

[4] P. Ledwith, W. Kort-Kamp, and D. Dalvit. Phys. Rev. B 97, 165426 (2018).

[5] M. Farias, W. Kort-Kamp, and D. Dalvit. Phys. Rev. B 97, 161407(R) (2018)