Quantum Matter under Extreme Conditions

Date

Dec 2, 2025

Time

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM

Speaker

Associate Prof. Dr. Mahmoud Abdel-Hafiez

Affiliation

University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Language

en

Main Topic

Materialien

Host

Martina Javorka

Description

Quantum materials continue to surprise us with their rich and often unexpected behavior when pushed to their limits. By applying extreme conditions such as high pressure, we can tune their atomic and electronic landscapes in ways that reveal entirely new phenomena. In this talk, I will explore how pressure reshapes the balance between charge density waves (CDWs), superconductivity, and magnetism in two fascinating families of materials: transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) and transition metal halides. In TMDs, high pressure unveils a deep connection between CDW order and superconductivity, showing how one phase can give way or even strengthen the other. One striking example is BaFe2Al9, where recent studies reveal a dramatic enhancement of the CDW transition temperature from 110 K to 300 K under pressure the fastest rate ever observed (60 K/GPa). This remarkable behavior runs counter to what we see in conventional CDW materials and points to a unique coupling between lattice strain and electronic instability. In parallel, I’ll discuss how pressure profoundly alters magnetic interactions in transition metal halides, driving these systems into new and sometimes unexpected magnetic states. Together, these results illustrate how high pressure serves as a clean, powerful tool to manipulate quantum matter and unlock phases that remain hidden under ambient conditions.

Links

• Seminars at the IFW

Last modified: Dec 2, 2025, 7:40:00 AM