Quantum Phase Transitions: Hidden Patterns in Space and Time

Phase transitions are a familiar part of life, representing predictable paths by which solids turn to liquids, mixtures turn to solutions, magnets become nonmagnetic. Temperature plays a central role in driving many phase transitions, however there are others that don’t depend on temperature at all—such as instabilities in social networks, bird flocking, and even the process of visual recognition in humans. Phase transitions represent change that impacts all length scales from the tiniest to the global, becoming permanent on time scales from the shortest to the longest. Most enigmatic are phase transitions that happen only at zero temperature, driven by the intrinsic quantum mechanical nature of matter. How are these quantum phase transitions different from temperature driven phase transitions? What are the different phases that can be explored by quantum systems at zero temperature? Living as we do at nonzero temperature, can we experience quantum phenomena that occur at zero temperature? Phase transitions and the ways in which they pattern space and time are at the heart of our developing understanding of quantum matter.

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This winter, we will host our public physics talks in Flug Forum at Aspen Center for Physics. Join us starting at 5:00pm for tea and cookies before each talk. The talks will begin at 5:30pm sharp. There is free parking at the Center and in the neighborhood. We also recommend taking the Downtowner or the free RFTA Crosstown Shuttle.

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