Boundary theories of fractional topological insulators

Objective

Fractional topological insulators (FTIs) are correlated topological phases of matter, which are the topological insulator analogues of the fractional quantum Hall effect (FQHE). The proposed research will study the theories of the boundaries of FTIs, and aims to make the first identification of the key observables that will allow the detection and characterization of these phases in experiments. Experimental consequences of the FTI phase in strongly correlated electronic materials and ultracold atomic gases will be predicted.

FTIs exist in both 2D and 3D, dividing the research into two logical parts. The first part studies the physics of the edge of 2D FTIs, focusing on the relevance of physically motivated weak perturbations, and the calculation of the charge conductance of point contacts in the weak tunneling and the weak backscattering limit. In the opposite, strong coupling limit setups with magnetic and superconducting domain walls will be studied, focusing on adiabatic transport properties and on localized excitations related to Majorana fermions.

The second strand of research focuses on formulating the surface theory of 3D FTIs in the framework of the parton construction. The three main research goals are: understanding the halved surface FQHE using the surface theory; exploring the connection between the parton construction and alternative approaches to FTIs, such as the BF theory; and identifing and computing predictions for observables using random matrices and the parton construction - QCD correspondence.

The duration of the proposed research is 24 months, to be carried out in the TCM Group of the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge. The scientist in charge will be Prof. Nigel Cooper, a leading condensed matter theorist. The proposed project brings together the complementary expertise of Prof. Cooper and the applicant, and provides extensive training for the applicant in an array of new research and complementary skills.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.

• natural sciences physical sciences theoretical physics particle physics fermions

Programme(s)

Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.

• FP7-PEOPLE - Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013)

Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

• FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IEF - Marie-Curie Action: "Intra-European fellowships for career development"

Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IEF
See other projects for this call

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

MC-IEF - Intra-European Fellowships (IEF)

Coordinator