MSE Talk: Kenan Gundogdu

Speaker: Dr. Kenan Gundogdu, NC State University

Title: Room Temperature Superfluorescence in Perovskites and Its Implications for Quantum Materials

Abstract: The formation of coherent macroscopic states and the manipulation of their entanglement using external stimuli are essential for emerging quantum applications. However, the observation of collective quantum phenomena such as Bose–Einstein condensation, superconductivity, superfluidity and superradiance has been limited to extremely low temperatures to suppress dephasing due to random thermal agitations. In this presentation I will talk about room-temperature superfluorescence (SF) in hybrid perovskite thin films. In SF an optically excited population of incoherent dipoles develops collective coherence spontaneously. This emergent collective state forms a giant dipole and radiates a burst of photons [Fig. 1]. The discovery of room temperature SF in perovskites is very surprising and shows that in this material platform, there exists an extremely strong immunity to thermal dephasing. To explain this observation, I will introduce the quantum analogue of vibration isolation (QAVI) mechanism, which protects electronic excitations against dephasing even at room temperature. Understanding the origins of sustained quantum coherence and the superfluorescence phase transition at high temperatures can provide guidance to design systems for emerging quantum information technologies and to realize similar high-temperature macroscopic quantum phenomena in tailored materials.

Bio: Kenan Gundogdu earned his PhD in 2004 from the University of Iowa, where he specialized in using ultrafast spectroscopy to study electron and hole spin dynamics in quantum dots and semiconductor heterostructures. After completing his PhD, he pursued postdoctoral research at the University of Iowa and later at MIT. During this time, he developed advanced spatio-temporal pulse shaping techniques for IR and optical 2D Fourier transform spectroscopy, which are akin to multi-dimensional NMR experiments. His work in these areas focused on studying electron dynamics in condensed matter systems and vibrational dynamics in biomolecules. Currently, Professor Gundogdu's research centers on quantum materials, particularly investigating structural and electronic properties that lead to quantum collective effects at high temperatures.