In condensed matter physics, analysis of symmetries is a fundamental theoretical technique used to classify phases of matter, constrain effective Hamiltonians, and predict emergent phenomena independent of microscopic details. By identifying spatial (lattice, point-group, translational), internal (spin, gauge), and spacetime (time-reversal) symmetries and how they are represented on fields or quasiparticles, one can determine allowed terms in Ginzburg–Landau functionals, low-energy effective field theories, and band structures. Symmetry considerations underlie methods such as group-theoretical classification of order parameters, symmetry-based selection rules, topological band theory, and the systematic construction of symmetry-protected and symmetry-enriched phases in crystalline and strongly correlated systems.
Graphene has long been regarded as one of the most promising materials for future electronics, but its relatively weak electron interactions have limited its potential for applications such as high-temperature superconductivity. ...
Condensed Matter
Jul 16, 2026
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Ferromagnetism has long been studied in a wide range of periodic crystals and amorphous materials. In quasicrystals (QCs), which possess long-range quasiperiodic order and unconventional rotational symmetries, such as 10-fold ...
Condensed Matter
Jul 7, 2026
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Physicists have long suspected that a peculiar quantum state lurks inside a class of materials known as kagome metals, but proving its existence has been elusive. Now, a team led by Yeongkwan Kim at the Korea Advanced Institute ...
Physicists have long been drawn to the nonlinear Hall effect: a subtle variant of the classical Hall effect, in which an electric voltage appears perpendicular to a current flowing through a material. Unlike its classical ...
An international team of researchers, including scientists from HZDR and Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society, for the first time directly observed how angular momentum is transferred and conserved within a crystal ...
Condensed Matter
May 12, 2026
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Symmetry is one of the most fundamental principles in nature. It describes the rules that make an object look unchanged after a rotation, reflection, or other transformations. In materials, symmetry governs how atoms and ...
Condensed Matter
May 4, 2026
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127
With a carefully designed experiment and a handful of tin atoms, University of Tennessee, Knoxville's physicists have found a long-sought form of superconductivity, taking one more step toward creating custom quantum materials.
Superconductivity
Apr 29, 2026
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Superconductivity is a state of matter characterized by an electrical resistance of zero, typically at very low temperatures. Past studies have found that in various materials, this unique state is accompanied by unusual ...
An extensive computational study by researchers from Finland's University of Jyväskylä predicts that gold nanoclusters could selectively recognize chiral biomolecules. This property may help in detecting certain diseases ...
Bio & Medicine
Mar 16, 2026
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15
In a paper published today in Nature Synthesis, a team from the lab of University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (UChicago PME) and Chemistry Department Prof. Paul Alivisatos explores the role of cation ...
Nanophysics
Mar 11, 2026
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