The two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) is one of the simplest models in condensed matter physics to write down, yet has a rich phase diagram that exhibits a variety of interesting correlated phenomena. At weak coupling the system behaves essentially as a gas, while at strong coupling the system solidifies into the Wigner crystal state. However, there is a broad range of intermediate coupling where the system behaves as a strongly correlated quantum liquid, and in this regime the behavior is still not fully understood. I will discuss how 2D transitional-metal dichalcogenide (TMD) systems promise to be a fruitful platform for interrogating the behavior of the 2DEG at intermediate coupling and will describe experiments demonstrating the existence of Wigner crystal states in these systems, as well as unexpected intermediate phases between the liquid and solid. I will also present new theoretical results that suggest, in contrast to previous reports, the Wigner crystal phase over a broad range of density is likely to be a metallic charge-density wave state, better understood as a "quantum crystal” with a finite concentration of itinerant ground-state defects. 

Multiscale modeling methods are typically envisioned as precise and predictive
simulation tools to solve complex science and engineering problems. However, even
conventional atomistic models are often insufficient in terms of computational efficiency
and accuracy to provide reliable information for the large-scale continuum models. In this
seminar, I will focus on method developments aimed at overcoming these critical
limitations.
At the beginning of the talk, I will introduce how atomic models can help us understand
the experimental observation of crystal growth in 2D materials using empirical reactive
forcefield (FF). Although atomistic models can provide useful insight at the atomic scale,
developing reliable FFs is extremely limited due to the fixed potential expressions.
Recently, neural network (NN) potentials (or surrogate models) have emerged as a way to
overcome the long-standing limitations of empirical potentials.
I will present recent developments that integrate ab-initio level calculation (DFT and
DFTB) and a PyTorch implementation of NN potentials (TorchANI) into the LAMMPS
molecular dynamics software. I will discuss the pros and cons of NN potentials illustrated
by a simple carbon system, graphene. While NN potentials can provide higher accuracy
than other FFs, e.g., ReaxFF and AIREBO, and lower computational cost than quantum
calculations, efficient sampling or data generation arises as a critical issue.
In the end, I will present the ongoing development of active learning capabilities through
LAMMPS and NNPs as an efficient sampling method for rare events. The developed
capabilities will provide useful tools for fundamental understanding of the chemical
process and mechanistic insights into the predictive design and interpretive simulation
of materials properties and processes.

Bio
GS Jung is a Research Staff at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. His research interests are
on the multiscale modeling of materials to understand their fundamental properties from
synthesis and growth to performance and failures. Before joining ORNL, he earned his
Ph.D. in multiscale modeling for 2D materials from the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology.

Advancing the frontiers of science often requires the creation of new probes to uncover the
underlying microscopic mechanisms giving rise to exotic macroscopic phenomena, such as high-
temperature superconductivity. Can quantum entangled probes uncover the inherent
entanglement of the target matter? We have recently [1-3] developed an entangled neutron
beam where individual neutrons can be entangled in spin, trajectory, and energy. To
demonstrate entanglement in these beams we crafted neutron interferometric measurements
of contextuality inequalities whose violation provided an indication of the breakdown of
Einstein's local realism. In turn, the tunable entanglement (spin-echo) length of the neutron
beam from nanometers to microns and energy differences from peV to neV opens a pathway to
a future era of entangled neutron scattering in matter. What kind of information can be
extracted with this novel entangled probe? A recent general quantum many-body entangled-
probe scattering theory [4] provides a framework to respond to this question. Interestingly, by
carefully tuning the probe's entanglement and inherent coherence properties, one can directly
access the intrinsic entanglement of the target material. This theoretical framework supports
the view that our entangled beam can be used as a multipurpose scientific tool. We are
currently [5] pursuing several ideas and developing new spin-textured entangled beams with
OAM for future experiments in candidate quantum spin liquids, unconventional
superconductors, and chiral quantum materials.

[1] J. Shen et. al., Nature Commun. 11, 930 (2020).
[2] S. Lu et. al., Phys. Rev. A 101, 042318 (2020).
[3] S. J. Kuhn et. al., Phys. Rev. Research 3, 023227 (2021).
[4] A. A. Md. Irfan, P. Blackstone, R. Pynn, and G. Ortiz, New J. Phys. 23, 083022 (2021).
[5] Q. Le Thien, S. McKay, R. Pynn, and G. Ortiz, arXiv:2207.12419.

What physics does one hope to learn by looking closely at exotic quantum states of matter, esoteric to begin with, but even more so on curved surfaces?! In this talk first I will remind the audience why quantum hall states serve as paradigmatic topological quantum states of matter, highlighting their signature property: the quantization of Hall conductance, which is independent of sample-specific details to the extent that it is used for precise measurements of fundamental constants. Tracing the topological origin of this remarkable property, I will motivate by analogy the interplay between the geometry of these states and their response to “gravitational” perturbations, i.e., deformations to the real space manifold they are embedded in — on a cone, for example! This then naturally leads to a discussion of what, if any, universal signatures characterize this response. Finally, some reflections on the broader implications of these excursions, and connections to other branches of physics, including classical soft matter systems.

Short bio:
Dr. Biswas received his PhD from Harvard University, working with Prof. Subir Sachdev on experimentally relevant exotic quantum states of matter.  Prof. Bert Halperin served as mentor. While at Harvard Rudro held several fellowships including the James Mills Pierce Fellowship Award, the Purcell Fellowship and the Harvard Center for Energy and Environment Fellowship. Following postdoctoral research as an Institute of Condensed Matter Theory Fellow at UIUC, Rudro became an Assistant Professor of Physics at Purdue University, where he is currently.

Cuprate high-temperature superconductors feature rich phase diagrams due to the presence of various competing degrees of freedom, inevitable disorder and high anisotropy. In cuprates, the value of the upper critical magnetic field (H_c2) and the role of charge and spin orders have long been under debate. In order to reveal the nature of the quantum phases (T -> 0) and transitions between them, in a varied magnetic field, as well as to investigate the precise interplay of charge order, disorder, and high temperature superconductivity, we perform transport measurements on (1) underdoped Bi₂Sr_0.16La_0.84CuO_6+δ, which exhibits short-range charge order, (2) overdoped Bi_2.1Sr_1.9CuO_6+δ and (3) highly overdoped Bi₂Sr₂O_6+δ, where charge order has not been observed yet. Measurements of linear transport, non-linear transport and Hall effect were performed in magnetic fields (H) up to 45 T and temperatures (T) down to 17 mK.

Plastic semiconductors incorporated into transistors have shown enormous potential for low-cost, flexible, printable electronics and bioelectronics. In my talk, I will discuss their history, operating mechanisms, and potential applications. I will highlight key challenges to these applications, and discuss some of the approaches I've taken to overcome them. I will show how these simple solutions can work towards the broad realization of organic transistors.