My research while at the KITP will consist of two major themes or fields:


(1)Non-equilibrium quantum phase transition effects are completely
   unexplored. A typical question is, take a system in its disordered phase at
   zero temperature. Pressure quench it rapidly so its final equilibrium state
   is magnetically ordered. The fundamental question is, what is the dynamics
   of the ordering process and how does order grow as a function of time?
   Typically, a fundamental quantity is the length scale, L(t), of an ordered
   domain. For long times, if L~t^z, what is the dynamical exponent z? How do
   the fermion degrees of freedom affect the order parameter ordering process
   and z?

(2)In soft condensed matter physics they are amazingly interesting fluctuation
   effects that so far have not been discussed in hard condensed matter
   systems. Interesting examples are liquid crystal fluctuation effects,
   particularly those of cholesteric liquid crystals. Magnetic analogs of
   cholesteric liquid crystals are realized in helical magnets, such as MnSi,
   and ferromagnetic superconductors, such as ErRh4B4. Due to general symmetry
   reasons the magnetic fluctuations in these, basically one-dimensionally
   ordered, systems are very soft compared to most systems with broken
   symmetries. It is expected that these very soft fluctuations will lead to
   novel low temperature properties of both thermodynamic and transport
   quantities. The "big picture" question being studied
   here is the marriage of soft and hard condensed matter systems ideas.


Ted Kirkpatrick