What Is the Quantum Spin Hall Effect and Why Is It Important?

Laurens W. Molenkamp

The quantum spin Hall effect was first proposed by Kane and Mele in 2005. In this video, LAURENS MOLENKAMP outlines how his team’s focus on mercury telluride has provided notable insights into this phenomenon. Conducting transport experiments on special semiconductors grown using a molecular beam epitaxy machine, Molenkamp’s findings include the identification of the quantum Hall effect in a three-dimensional topological insulator and the potential for topological superconductivity. With future applications in fields including quantum metrology and topological quantum computing, Molenkamp’s research continues to extend our understanding of the physical makeup of our universe.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21036/LTPUB101110

Researcher

Laurens W. Molenkamp is Chair of Experimental Physics III and Head of Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) at Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg. He is also a fellow of the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids. Molenkamp’s research focuses on quantum transport in nanostructures, the optical spectroscopy of semiconductors and semiconductor spintronics. Editor of Physical Review B, Molenkamp has been recognized with numerous awards including the Stern-Gerlach Medal of the German Physical Society (2017) and the American Physical Society’s Oliver E. Buckley Prize (2012).

University of Würzburg (Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg)

"True to its motto ‘Science for Society’, the Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU) - founded 1402 - is committed to advancing research in a wide range of disciplines. Academic rankings confirm the JMU’s place among the world’s high-performing research universities. Currently, the JMU has about 29.000 students who are enrolled in ten faculties. Its academic and administrative staff comprises more than 4.000 people. Approximately 420 professors are active in research and teaching at the university and the university hospital.