Condensed Matter Physics Seminar

Recent rapid development of experimental technology in cold atoms, quantum optics and condensed matter physics now allows the access to quantum physics in non-equilibrium, which was previously hard to study due to the fast relaxation and limited controls. Motivated by this perspective, we study and reveal new topological structures in periodically driven systems. In this talk, we demonstrate that periodical drives allow 1. to design and engineer static topological properties in a versatile fashion 2. to induce unique topological phenomena that do not exist in static systems. We provide various theoretical as well as experimental examples in cold atoms, quantum optics and condensed matter physics, including the observation of zero-energy bound states predicted in Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model and non-equilibrium realization of Haldane model through the application of circularly polarized light on graphene. At the end, we discuss the physical manifestations of the topological physics through non-equilibrium transport. Such non-equiiibrium realizations provide new paradigm and platforms to study topological phenomena, which are still rare in static systems.