How is rotational symmetry broken in planar systems?
Summary
Dr Michael Faulkner has resolved the paradox of symmetry breaking being observed in a wide and diverse range of planar materials – despite the existing theoretical framework predicting an absence of the phenomenon. To achieve this, he developed a new, broader framework called general symmetry breaking. This explains low-temperature magnetism and superconductivity in certain planar materials and demonstrates that this previous framework was too restrictive to account to rotational symmetry breaking in two-dimensional systems.
Researcher Profile
