Fundamentals of Condensed Matter

Modern condensed matter research requires a combination of expertise in different fields integrating semiconduc-tors and normal metals with magnetic and superconducting materials. Our research project will explore the fundamental physics of condensed matt er that is relevant for electronic devices. We propose forming a research group of three Principal Investigators to investigate these systems and work coherently creating synergies between research at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim and at the University of Oslo. We will study the properties of novel systems, pure or hybrid, containing ferromagnets, normal metals, semicon-ductors and superconductors. We aim at improving and exploiting theoretical methods for describing tr ansport and other phenomena in novel heterostructures of ferromagnets, semiconductors, normal metals and conventional superconductors, heterostructures involving spin-triplet superconductors and normal metals as well as heterostruc-tures involving unconve ntional strongly correlated systems. An overall goal is to use these methods to increase our understanding of existing and future experiments. Specifically, we will explore spin and charge flow, as well as their manipulation and detection, in systems whe re ferromagnetic metals are in contact with semiconductors, normal metals or superconductors. Applications of this knowledge may lead to new developments in data storage capacity, volatile and non-volatile random access memories, versatile logic gates, se nsors, faster processors, and with a low probability perhaps even quantum information processing.