Institute for Quantum Matter

The Institute for Quantum Matter started its offical operations in September of 2008. Funded by the Office of Basic Energy Sciences of the US Department of Energy, the IQM seeks to expose and understand materials dominated by quantum coherence and quantum correlations. The institute combines chemical synthesis, advanced spectroscopy, and theoretical analysis for new fundamental understanding of interacting quantum particles and to discover materials with a potential for applications in the energy and information technology sectors.

The Institute for Quantum Matter is a collaboration between Johns Hopkins University and Princeton University where Professor Robert Cava plays a key role in developing new materials informed by feedback from theory and spectroscopy. This page is meant to be a web surfer's port-of-entry to our various activities.

Mission

When many quantum particles interact they can produce unexpected properties that are extremely difficult to predict despite complete knowledge of the underlying interactions. Such "emergent" properties are at the research forefront of modern physical sciences. At IQM, we aim to develop new materials with properties dominated by collective, emergent quantum effects. Examples of the unfamiliar materials properties we seek to understand and control are correlated superconductivity resulting from exchange of magnetic fluctuations and incipient quantum magnetism that responds in unexpected ways to external stimuli. Such materials challenge and advance our understanding of condensed matter and may find applications in energy and information technologies. The Institute brings together key expertise in materials synthesis, advanced spectroscopy, and theoretical analysis to accomplish these goals.