Date：May 11, 2016, 16：00～17：00
Place：A615 Seminar room
Lecturer :  Professor Nic Shannon（OIST）

Talk title：An Introduction to Quantum Spin Nematics

Abstract：

Liquid crystals, in which molecules align to break rotational symmetries of space - without at the same time breaking translational symmetries - are ubiquitous in nature, and form the basis for many

modern display technologies.

The idea that a quantum magnet might also act like a liquid crystal, breaking spin-rotation symmetry without breaking time-reversal symmetry, holds an abiding fascination.

In this talk we explore some of the progress which has been made in understanding such “quantum spin nematic” states, addressing the questions : what are they, where should you look, and how would you know if you'd found one ?

As a concrete example, we explore in more detail the spin excitations  of spin-nematic states, and how these might be observed in experiment  [1,2].

[1] A. Smerald and N. Shannon Phys. Rev. B 88, 184430 (2013)

[2] A. Smerald, H. T. Ueda and N. Shannon, Phys. Rev. B 91, 174402 (2015)