On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Cavendish Laboratory, discover the secrets of quantum emergence with Professor Suchitra Sebastian.

In this talk, Suchitra will explore the fascinating class of quantum materials, where surprising and unpredictable collective phenomena emerge from interactions between trillion trillions (10^23) of electrons, as many as the stars in the observable universe. Superconductivity is one such striking quantum phenomenon, in which electrons collectively self-organize to conduct electricity perfectly without loss, with important sustainable energy applications. Suchitra will discuss experimental approaches to tackle the challenge of discovering new and more exotic quantum phases of matter. She will introduce an experimental design she terms 'quantum alchemy', by which she searches for novel phases of matter at quantum phase boundaries. Here, large quantum fluctuations offer a portal to access an infinity of unimagined new quantum phases of matter.