Quantum Matter

Reality Outruns Anticipation

Our equations know things that we don't. They contain splendid surprises and opportunities for creation.

I've been amazed and delighted to learn from my equations, among other things:

How to swim through treacle.

What happens to matter when you keep heating and heating, or squeezing and squeezing.

How electrons in matter can break into smaller units, with new and possibly useful properties.

Seven Easy Pieces

Just a few of my (non-technical) thoughts on what I call "Quantum Matter." You can also find most, but not all of these, in Fantastic Realities.

What is Quantum Theory?: You may be asking yourself that question.
From Electronics to Anyonics: Maybe we can exploit the strange behavior of matter at low temperatures to make powerful new kinds of quantum circuits.
Some Basic Aspects of Fractional Quantum Numbers: "Quantum" properties, like charge and spin, were supposed to come in minimal lumps. It's not always so, we've discovered.
Gauge Theories of Swimming: Tiny creatures like bacteria live in a world dominated by friction (viscosity). They can only move by an interesting kind of jiu-jitsu, using tricks we've only recently (re-)discovered.
10¹² Degrees in the Shade: At extremely high temperatures quarks and gluons roam free, and part of space melts. So our equations imply, and so experiments hint.
The Recent Excitement in High-Density QCD: What happens to matter if you keep squeezing? Neutron stars want to know, and now we have a beautiful answer.
Resonating with Feshbach: A scientific tribute to the famous MIT professor my chair is named for.

More About This

The internet is an amazing source of information (and misinformation) about almost any topic. Here are a few URLs if you want to learn more about quantum matter.

From BCS to the LHC: A popular-level talk by Steven Weinberg on the bond between condensed matter and particle physics.