Abstract: A remarkable aspect of physics is its ability to reveal what Feynman called the “underlying unity of nature” – the universality of emergent phenomena across vastly different energy, length, and timescales. In this talk, I will present two of our recent experiments on the nonlinear electrodynamic response of materials over picosecond timescales that illustrate this universality in striking ways. First, I will describe our observation of an emergent particle, the phason, acquiring mass in a charge density wave (CDW) material—confirming a theoretical prediction from over 40 years ago. This mass acquisition occurs due to the same mechanism by which elementary particles in the universe gain mass. Next, I will discuss our recent discovery of a dynamic magneto-chiral instability that amplifies propagating terahertz (THz) waves in a structurally chiral material. This phenomenon parallels the chiral plasma instability in high-energy and nuclear physics, revealing deep connections between the nonequilibrium electrodynamics of electrons in chiral materials and of quarks in the universe’s primordial liquid.
This event will take place Wednesday April 30th, 4-5pm, in 141 Loomis
This seminar will also be viewable on Zoom via https://illinois.zoom.us/my/icmt.seminar?pwd=ZU1KbnBLeXZLUmJKc0oyU205cDNDdz09