Abstract:
Chromium is commonly used as a metallic layer in car bumpers and is a crucial element for stainless steel. In addition, chromium is the only element in the periodic table that displays antiferromagnetism, where the electron spins form a spin-density wave of alternating up and down spins. In this talk, I will show that despite being a common and “simple” metal, chromium displays unusual physical properties not described within the standard models of solid state physics that are usually limited to much more complex materials. It has a quantum critical point, and exhibits non-Fermi liquid behavior. In addition, when the film thickness is thin, the spin-density wave is quantized.
Coffee and tea will be served 20 minutes prior to the seminar.