Interaction of matter states with the environment: optical cavities and mechanical waves

• Grant number: 18/02011-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): April 16, 2018
• Effective date (End): April 15, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Condensed Matter Physics
• Principal Investigator: Jose Antonio Brum
• Grantee: Helder Faria Andriolo
• Supervisor: Gerald Andre Maurice Bastard
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física Gleb Wataghin (IFGW). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Research place: École Normale Supérieure, Paris (ENS), France
• Associated to the scholarship: 16/06233-5 - Interaction of matter states with the environment: optical cavities and mechanical waves, BP.DR

Abstract

The principal goal of the project is to obtain an external control of topological phases in condensed matter. The research studies two possible topological insulators materials: i) HgTe-CdTe family which shows an HgTe/CdTe interface state that may induce non-trivial topological states and ii) polaritons, which under certain conditions may also present non-trivial topological states. Surface acoustic waves (SAW) are being used to control the electronic properties, applying a critical strength of the SAW, the presence of the interface state can be manipulate, this is a way to drive the topological phase transition. Terahertz (THz) spectroscopy will be used as a probe to put in evidence the existence and the conditions for the topological phase and to test the capability of SAW to act as a good device for topological phase control. (AU)