Hydrodynamics of Quantum Matter

Professor: Thomas Scaffidi

Description: The project concerns a new regime of electronic transport in which electrons behave like a viscous fluid, and for which the ubiquitous Ohm’s law is replaced by the much richer Navier-Stokes equation. Interest in this regime was recently amplified by a series of experiments in 2D materials like graphene. The goal of the project is to calculate from first-principles the precise form of the scattering operator between electrons in realistic models for novel quantum materials, in order to predict hydrodynamic behavior and discover novel phenomena. In practice, this involves the derivation of scattering properties using perturbation theory and the calculation of high-dimensional integrals using a variety of numerical methods. 

Preferred Qualifications: Experience with numerical physics (in python, julia or other languages) is a plus.