SEMINAR 2025

Abstract

When electrons in quantum materials interact strongly with each other, it gives rise to emergent phenomena and exotic ground states that are both scientifically intriguing and have potential technological impacts. In this talk, I will share highlights from our experiments using the technique of low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, which lets us look closely at how electrons behave in these materials. In particular, I am going to focus on the discovery of an unconventional charge density wave (CDW) order in a spin triplet superconductor. Coexisting or competing broken symmetry phases in unconventional superconductors is an area of continuous focus in condensed matter physics. UTe₂ has emerged as an interesting heavy fermion superconductor which combines strongly correlated physics with topology and unconventional superconductivity. Unlike conventional charge orders, this CDW in UTe₂, is sensitive to a magnetic field and is suppressed above the superconducting upper critical field of superconductivity. I will elucidate the nature of this magnetic field-induced melting using amplitude and phase maps. Finally I will shed light on the electronic origin of such an order from spectroscopic imaging studies.