Flatiron Institute Seminar Series: Shiwei Zhang

Title: Superconductivity: Out of a jam

Abstract: Superconductivity is one of nature’s most intriguing quantum phenomena. With enormous technological potential and outstanding scientific challenges, superconductivity has fascinated humanity for over a century. The discovery, almost 40 years ago, of so-called high-temperature superconductors — materials which turn superconducting at unexpectedly high (though still frigid) temperatures — sent the physics community into a frenzy. Today, a complete understanding of the mechanism for high-temperature superconductivity remains missing. In recent years, advances with computational approaches have led to significant insights and injected new energy into the quest to unravel this secret. This seminar aims to give an accessible introduction to the field and some of these advances.