💡 Research Topics
Research topics available in the BRIN Research Center for Physics are categorized according to the currently existing research groups, i.e., theoretical high-energy physics, experimental high-energy physics, quantum matter theory, quantum information & computation, quantum simulation, and quantum devices & technology.
Theoretical High-Energy Physics
Our research group focuses on the theory and phenomenology of particle physics, with a specific emphasis on elementary particles and their interactions. Our work is centered around the standard model and its extensions, which include areas such as neutrino oscillation, Higgs physics, B-Physics, dark matter, quantum field theory, and grand unified theory.
Experimental High-Energy Physics
We research experimental high-energy physics and, recently, we have also branched out into applications of high-energy particle detection technology, known as muography. At an extremely high temperature, close to the temperature an instant after the big bang, protons and neutrons in atomic nuclei will break into their constituents of quarks and gluons. Our group use experimental facilities at CERN, Geneva, Switzerland, and computing facilities at BRIN to probe and study the behavior of quarks and gluons at this extremely high temperature. Our particular interest is the physics of heavy quarks (b and charm) probed by producing corresponding b- and charmed mesons. In muography, we are exploring potential muography applications in geoscience and non-destructive testing.
Non-Perturbative Physics
Our research group focuses on phenomena or mathematical methods that can not be described using perturbation theory mainly due to strong interaction in the system, such as quark-gluon plasma in quantum chromodynamics. A particular example in quantum field theory is the existence of solitons, and the most important ones are BPS solitons, whose energies are the lowest. One of our members has been developing the BPS Lagrangian method to obtain these BPS solitons. As general relativity is perturbatively non-renormalizable, our group is also interested in alternative methods to quantum gravity, namely string theory and loop quantum gravity.
Quantum Matter Theory
We study fundamental excitations such as electrons, spins, photons, phonons, magnons, plasmons, and also their interactions with each other in condensed matter systems. By understanding the interactions, we can propose materials for various applications, in particular, for future quantum devices. We employ a wide range of theoretical methods and develop in-house software to calculate the physical properties of materials. With this approach, we can predict novel materials as well as understand available experimental data in the literature.
Quantum Information and Computation
The last three decades have witnessed a fast-emerging field of quantum information and computation exploiting nonclassical aspects of quantum mechanics, such as coherence and entanglement, for developing new schemes of quantum technology. These include but are not limited to quantum sensing, quantum cryptography, quantum computing, and quantum battery. In this research group, we study the characterization and quantification of nonclassicality as a resource for quantum technology, investigate the dynamics of quantum information in complex quantum systems, and search for applications of quantum computers to study and simulate various aspects and properties of quantum systems.
Quantum Simulation
In this group, we design and predict the properties of quantum materials through computational studies. We use various classical and quantum simulation methods, e.g., classical molecular dynamics, semi-empirical tight-binding methods, and first-principles methods (ab initio molecular dynamics, density functional theory, or Green function theory). The applications encompass a broad range of systems, ranging from catalysts, ion batteries, thermoelectrics, photovoltaics, fuel cells, anti-corrosion, gas sensors, and hydrogen storage. We also study quantum computing for various applications, in particular for materials simulation.
Quantum Devices and Technology
Recent advances in materials engineering, nanofabrication techniques, and characterization tools allow us to explore novel (quantum) phenomena driven by interactions between constituent particles or quasi-particles in condensed matter. In this group, our primary interest is to probe the signature and mechanism of such interactions under various conditions, which help us better design functional materials and quantum devices, hence advancing our current technologies. We are concerned with both materials and devices in emerging fields such as spintronics, superconductivity, photocatalysis, and quantum sensing.