Condensed Matter

	< > C.C. Huang C.C. Huang conducts optical investigations of free-standing liquid-crystal films, in particular, the films possessing a net electrical dipole moment to acquire the molecular orientational arrangements within the films.

a) Flower open magnetization and b vortex closed magnetization cross sections showing the direction of the magnetic moments. b) shows complete magnetic flux closure and explains why the vortex state is nearly invisible to the MFM.

Physics of Matter

Condensed matter physics, and the closely associated discipline of materials physics, are the largest subfields in physics. Condensed matter research at Minnesota spans a range that includes the strange properties of electricity at nanoscales, to activities that may truly be considered "high science," understanding phenomena such as "superfluids," ³He and ⁴He.

Condensed matter and materials physics have been the sources of numerous technologies important to daily life. These include compound semiconductor electronics, magnetic and optical storage systems, liquid crystal displays, and semiconductor lasers. Among the many efforts at Minnesota aimed at future technology are the experiments in spintronics, which are attempting to solve problems associated with the coupling of a semiconductor and a ferromagnet. Several of the condensed matter faculty members participate in the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, a collaborative effort by the University that crosses departmental boundaries.

The condensed matter group at Minnesota investigates a wide range of experimental and theoretical problems in superconductivity and superfluidity, magnetism, mesoscopic physics, liquid crystals, semiconductors, surface physics and complexity.

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