Research Interests for Harold U. Baranger

The broad focus of Prof. Baranger's group is quantum open systems at the nanoscale, particularly the generation of correlation between particles in such systems. Fundamental interest in nanophysics-- the physics of small, nanometer scale, bits of solid-- stems from the ability to control and probe systems on length scales larger than atoms but small enough that the averaging inherent in bulk properties has not yet occurred. Using this ability, entirely unanticipated phenomena can be uncovered on the one hand, and the microscopic basis of bulk phenomena can be probed on the other. Additional interest comes from the many links between nanophysics and nanotechnology. Within this thematic area, our work ranges from projects trying to nail down realistic behavior in well-characterized systems, to more speculative projects reaching beyond regimes investigated experimentally to date.

Correlations between particles are a central issue in many areas of condensed matter physics, from emergent many-body phenomena in complex materials, to strong matter-light interactions in quantum information contexts, to transport properties of single molecules. Such correlations, for either electrons or bosons (photons, plasmons, phonons,…), underlie key phenomena in nanostructures. Using the exquisite control of nanostructures now possible, experimentalists will be able to engineer correlations in nanosystems in the near future. Of particular interest are cases in which one can tune the competition between different types of correlation, or in which correlation can be tunably enhanced or suppressed by other effects (such as confinement or interference), potentially causing a quantum phase transition-- a sudden, qualitative change in the correlations in the system.

My recent work has addressed correlations in both electronic systems (quantum wires and dots) and photonic systems (photon waveguides). We have focused on 3 different systems: (1) qubits coupled to a photonic waveguide, (2) quantum dots in a dissipative environment, and (3) low-density electron gas in a quantum wire. The methods used are both analytical and numerical, and are closely linked to experiments.

Keywords:

circuit QED, Coherent states, condensed matter, Condensed Matter Physics, Electric Conductivity, Electrodes, electron correlations, electron transport, emergent phenomena, Many-body problem, materials physics, mesoscopic, Models, Chemical, molecular electronics, Molecular Structure, Nanophotonics, nanoscale, nanoscience, Nanoscience, Nanostructures, non-classical light, novel materials, Quantum chaos, Quantum communication, Quantum computers, quantum computing, Quantum Dots, Quantum entanglement, Quantum Hall effect, quantum interference, Quantum interference, Quantum Materials, quantum networks, quantum optics, Quantum optics, solid state, spintronics, Superconducting quantum interference devices, superconductivity, Transport theory, waveguide QED

Current projects:

Unveiling Environmental Entanglement in Strongly Dissipative Qubits

Majorana Quantum Criticality Realized by Dissipative Resonant Tunneling

Waveguide QED: Photon Correlations Generated by Many Qubits

Zigzag Quantum Phase Transition in Quantum Wires

Recent Publications

1. Lee, JW; Baranger, HU, Quantum critical region of a two-dimensional spin-half XXZ model, Journal of the Korean Physical Society, vol. 82 no. 7 (April, 2023), pp. 688-691 [doi] [abs]
2. Zhang, G; Novais, E; Baranger, HU, Conductance of a dissipative quantum dot: Nonequilibrium crossover near a non-Fermi-liquid quantum critical point, Physical Review B, vol. 104 (October, 2021), pp. 165423-165423, American Physical Society (APS) (arXiv:2108.00064.) [2108.00064], [doi] [abs] [reputed journal]
3. Zhang, XHH; Baranger, HU, Driven-Dissipative Phase Transition in a Kerr Oscillator: From Semi-Classical PT Symmetry to Quantum Fluctuations., Physical Review A, vol. 103 (March, 2021), pp. 033711-033711, American Physical Society (arXiv:2007.01422.) [2007.01422], [doi] [abs] [reputed journal]
4. Zhang, G; Chung, C-H; Ke, C-T; Lin, C-Y; Mebrahtu, H; Smirnov, AI; Finkelstein, G; Baranger, HU, Nonequilibrium quantum critical steady state: Transport through a dissipative resonant level, Physical Review Research, vol. 3 no. 1 (February, 2021), pp. 013136-013136, American Physical Society (APS) (arXiv:1609.04765.) [1609.04765], [doi] [abs] [reputed journal]
5. Zhang, G; Baranger, HU, Stabilization of a Majorana Zero Mode through Quantum Frustration., Physical Review B, vol. 102 (July, 2020), pp. 035103-035103 (arXiv:1912.12950.) [doi] [abs] [reputed journal]