Special Physics Seminar

Using solid-state transport to reveal universal properties of quantum matter

Thomas Scaffidi

UC Berkeley

Wolfgang Pauli called solid-state physics “the physics of dirt effects”, and this name might appear well-deserved at first sight since transport properties are more often than not set by extrinsic properties, like impurities. In this talk, I will argue instead that transport in solid-state systems provides us with unique ways of revealing universal properties of quantum matter. I will focus on two classes of systems. First, I will discuss how a new regime of electronic transport, whereby electrons behave like a viscous fluid, provides an ideal test bed for recently conjectured universal bounds on diffusion. The second part of the talk will be devoted to phases with robust quantum properties, called “topological”, which lead to universal transport at the sample edges.