Prof Radu Coldea

Our research explores the experimental manifestation of cooperative quantum effects in strongly-interacting electron materials in novel regimes of “strong frustration” and “quantum criticality”, when electrons are “on the verge” of order. We probe the microscopic electronic states directly using neutron and synchrotron x-ray scattering on single crystals, combined with magnetometry and in-house heat capacity at mK temperatures and high magnetic field to drive quantum phase transitions. Of recent interest are quantum materials with strong correlations and spin-orbit coupling, where we have discovered unconventional forms of magnetic order and/or spin dynamics, and magnetic quasiparticles with topological properties.