Materials Research Laboratory

Placing two-dimensional electrons in a strong magnetic field creates an astonishing quantum world that harbors some of the most sophisticated and puzzling strongly-correlated states found in nature. In this regime, electrons dress themselves with quanta of magnetic flux, transforming into emergent particles called composite fermions, which serve as the building blocks of a remarkably rich quantum landscape. In this talk, I will begin by recounting the physical motivations that led to the idea of composite fermions, and describe how it evolved into a predictive and quantitative framework for the fractional quantum Hall effects, as well as for the emergent Fermi-liquid-like, crystalline, magnetic, and even “superconducting” states of composite fermions. I will touch upon a number of recent developments that continue to surprise us, highlighting why this system remains, even today, “absolutely mindboggling.” The talk is intended to be understandable to first year graduate students.