May 31, 2015 – June 05, 2015

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Location

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan

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Organizers
James Allen, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Cagliyan Kurdak, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Lu Li, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Kai Sun, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Website
Correlated Topological Insulators: SmB6 and Beyond Website

Registration Information
All conference participants are required to register. Registration is free for invited speakers, $100 for other participants, and $50 for guests. There will be a banquet for all registered participants and guests on Wednesday June 3. 

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Financial Aid
Financial aid is available for junior scientists (graduate students and postdoctoral scientists). Depending on the total number of junior scientist participants, we expect to provide up to $600 for participants from North America (USA and Canada) and up to $900 for other international participants.

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Registration Form

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Important Dates
March 27, 2015: Abstract Submission Deadline
April 3, 2015: Abstract Acceptance Notification
April 17, 2015: Registration Deadline
May31 - June 1, 2015: Junior Scientist Tutorial Session
June 2 - 5, 2015: Conference

Overview
Arguably the most exciting recent development in quantum condensed matter physics is the realization [1-10] in 2005 that the topology of the electronic structure of a solid has important new implications that go well beyond the standard constraints imposed through the use of group theory to exploit the translational and rotational symmetries of the crystalline lattice. A prime example is the topological insulator (TI) in which a topological property of the bulk insulator gap formation requires symmetry-protected metallic surface states located energetically inside the bulk insulating gap and the concept has been verified in beautiful detail for a number of weakly correlated materials where textbook band theory works well.

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In spite of its sophistication and elegance, in its initial stages the theory was entirely for non-interacting electrons. The latest chapter in the TI saga is the realization [11,12] that certain strongly correlated materials that cannot be described by simple band theory can also be TI materials if a low energy Fermi liquid theory obtains. The realization led to the prediction that the paradigm mixed valence insulator SmB6 is such a material. This TI hypothesis would solve a famous old problem for SmB6 itself and has the promise of uniting the very new problem of topology in electronic structure with the old but still very challenging problem of strong correlations in electronic structure.

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For SmB6 the past two years has seen, on an international scale, a rush of experimental work testing the prediction and further theoretical work exploring the idea in more detail. Other possible materials are just now starting to be considered. More broadly, there has also been work from the TI theory community putting forth a variety of highly novel ideas for new topological states of matter that depend on having very strong correlations. The various communities of workers addressing these different aspects tend to be somewhat disjoint. There is a need to draw all these researchers together to consolidate progress on SmB6 to date, to define and confront issues, and most important, to broaden this new sub-field, looking to the future. The UM organizers who are proposing this conference have been very active contributors in both experiment and theory, making UM a very logical venue for this timely workshop.