Carl Sagan is famous for saying that there are more stars in our Universe than there are grains of sand covering the world’s beaches. What Sagan didn’t say is that a single grain of sand has more electrons than stars in the Universe. What do these many electrons do in a crystal? They form a quantum universe.
In this conference, we will explore the confluence of recent exciting developments on this many-electron world in crystals. The topics to be discussed include:
• Why are electrons in fact waves that interfere with each other and, at the same time, particles that repel each other?
• How do the electron waves embody an abstract math concept called “topology”?
• How can the electron-electron repulsion create a variety of new quantum faces (phases)?
• Can some of these quantum phases have real-world impact and maybe even save the world?
This Teachers’ Conference, to be held in coordination with a week-long KITP conference entitled “Topology, Symmetry and Interactions in Crystals: Emerging Concepts and Unifying Themes,” will catalyze conversations on this prototype topic of quantum physics and how to bring it to the classrooms.
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Learn about KITP Teachers' Conferences: www.kitp.ucsb.edu/outreach/te...
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