William H. Miller III Department of Physics & Astronomy

TITLE: Is an information viewpoint useful in condensed matter experiment? ABSTRACT: Some of the most significant developments in science concern information, from artificial intelligence to quantum computation and communications. In this regard there has long been a close connection between statistical mechanics and information theory. An interesting question then is whether we can use new […]

TITLE: Liquid Crystals as Cores and Claddings ABSTRACT: Liquid crystals (LCs) refer to structured mesophases that retain the ability to flow while exhibiting broken symmetries. One simple LC is the nematic phase (NLC), which is comprised of rod-shaped molecules that co-orient with a D∞h symmetry. Their anisotropic properties can be modeled locally using a prolate […]

TITLE: Quantum geometry: how to picture bound electrons in periodic lattices ABSTRACT: The concept of quantum geometry has been at the forefront of condensed matter physics, starting from how quantized Berry curvature leads to quantized Hall conductivity, anomalous velocities in Dirac metals, or other topological responses in a growing list of so-called topological materials. Recently, […]