Advent calendar - December 22nd - Chen Chao Ye

In the Zernike Institute Advent Calendar, we are presenting 24 short spotlights in December. In these specials, we highlight PhD students, postdocs, support staff and technicians of our research groups and team - providing a glimpse in their typical day at work. In Episode 22 meet Chen Chao Ye, PhD student in the Theory of Condensed Matter group and also part of the Materials for the Quantum Age program (QuMat).

I am a PhD student in the Theory of Condensed Matter group in the Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, and also part of the Materials for the Quantum Age program (QuMat). This collaborative program between researchers in several Dutch universities and research institutes aims to provide prototype materials with stable coherent quantum states for quantum-era devices. For my part, I work on computational aspects of materials science by performing very accurate first-principle simulations that not only reproduce experimental observations but also reveal new and intriguing properties. Over the last two years, I have been working on two of the most promising types of materials for new spintronic applications: topological insulators and magnetic materials.

Topological systems have the peculiar phenomenon of being electrically conducting only on the surface of the material, such that it allows for the flow of a current without energy loss and the identification of the quantum states. These properties open the door for more intriguing quantum information devices.

Magnetic materials have appeared for a long time in human history, and they are one of the key pieces in the electronic world. Nevertheless, two-dimensional cases and the recently discovered altermagnets bring us much richer possibilities and applications. Here is where I have dug into. A few layers of atoms with van der Waals interlayer interactions can become multiferroics depending on the atomic arrangement. Therefore, due to the weak van der Waals interaction compared to other forces, one can manipulate the magnetism of the material by rearranging the layers. Currently, all the magnetic materials in the world are classified into three groups: the well-known ferromagnets and antiferromagnets, and the recently proved altermagnets. The last group is highlighted by having zero net magnetization and spin-splitting in both real and momentum spaces, making the manipulation of quantum states much more suitable for them.

Outside working life, I enjoy spending time with my friends, mainly playing board games and eating nice food. I love sports in general, but it is hard to practice with the Dutch weather. I am saying this because I come from Barcelona, where I grew up. Human culture is another of my interests; therefore, I have visited many different places thus far. My goal is to understand the entire world, even though it is impossible. As someone has mentioned, I know that I know nothing. Still, science can give us a tiny piece of it.

See all Advent Calendar items 2024 here!