OR

Browse By

Professor Ben Powell

Professor

School of Mathematics and Physics
Faculty of Science
powell@physics.uq.edu.au
+61 7 336 52401

Overview

This is an automatically generated university page - my real website is https://people.smp.uq.edu.au/BenPowell/

Publications

View all Publications

Grants

View all Grants

Supervision

View all Supervision

Available Projects

  • New types of particles in spin-crossover materials

    Condensed matter physicists sometimes pity our colleagues in high-energy physics. They are limited to studying a single vacuum and its excitations: the particles of the standard model. For condensed matter physicists every new phase of matter brings a new ‘vacuum’. Remarkably the low-energy excitations of these new vacua can be very different from the individual electrons, protons and neutrons that constitute the material. The condensed matter multiverse contains universes where the particle-like excitations carry only a fraction of the elementary electronic charge are magnetic monopole, or are their own antiparticle. None of these properties have ever been observed in the particles found in free space. Often emergent gauge fields accompany these ‘fractionalized’ particles, just as electromagnetic gauge fields accompany charged particles.

    In this project you will discover the nature of the particles that emerge a recently phase of matter – the spin-state ice – that is predicted to occur in spin crossover materials. You will develop new theories of these materials and seek to discover other exotic phases in them.

  • Spin crossover materials

    Some molecules are magnetic. Others are not. Spin-crossover molecules are unusual because they can be switched between magnetic (high-spin) and non-magnetic (more generally, low-spin) states by temperature, pressure, chemical environment, or irradiation by light. Furthermore, materials containing spin-crossover molecules can display phase transitions between states with different spatial patterns of molecules with high- and low-spin that have similarities to emergent states with magnetic, orbital and charge ordering, such as antiferromagnetism.

    The fundamental question you will investigate is: why does this happen? This will require the application of state-of-the-art computational methodologies to describe the quantum behavior of the electrons in these materials. Importantly, the electrons interact strongly with one another in these systems. This means that the behaviors are collective and the standard approaches to chemistry, where we treat each electron independently, fail miserably. Instead you will use supercomputers to model the collective physics.

  • Design and control of quantum materials: metal organic frameworks (MOFs)

    Materials are vital for modern technology. Our understanding and control of the physics of silicon enabled the digital revolution. But electron-electron interactions are not important for the physics of silicon. In many other materials quantum mechanical electron-electron interactions determine the properties of the materials. These quantum materials show amazing properties such as high temperature superconductivity and sometime have excitations that are very different from the properties of the vacuum [1]. If we could routinely design and control quantum materials it would revolutionise technologies from electricity distribution to computing. But currently we have very limited abilities to design quantum materials. A new class of materials, MOFs, may be the key to enabling the rational design of quantum materials. Several projects are available in this area using techniques varying from supercomputer calculations to pen and paper theory to help change this in collaboration with world leading synthetic chemists and experimental physicists.

    [1] B. J. Powell, The expanding materials multiverse, Science 360, 1074 (2018)

View all Available Projects

Publications

Book Chapter

  • Understanding melanin: a nano-based material for the future

    Mostert, A. B., Meredith, P., Powell, B. J., Gentle, I. R., Hanson, G. R and Pratt, F. L. (2016). Understanding melanin: a nano-based material for the future. Nanomaterials: science and applications. (pp. 175-202) edited by Deborah Kane, Adam Micolich and Peter Roger. Boca Raton, FL, United States: Pan Stanford. doi: 10.1201/b20041-8

  • An introduction to effective low-energy Hamiltonians in condensed matter physics and chemistry

    Powell, Ben J. (2011). An introduction to effective low-energy Hamiltonians in condensed matter physics and chemistry. Computational methods for large systems: Electronic structure approaches for biotechnology and nanotechnology. (pp. 309-366) edited by Jeffrey R. Reimers. Hoboken, NJ, United States: Wiley. doi: 10.1002/9780470930779.ch10

  • Broadband Photon-harvesting Biomolecules for Photovoltaics

    Meredith, Paul, Powell, Ben J., Riesz, Jenny, Vogel, Robert, Blake, David, Kartini, Indriani, Will, Geff and Subianto, Surya (2006). Broadband Photon-harvesting Biomolecules for Photovoltaics. Artificial Photosynthesis: From Basic Biology to Industrial Application. (pp. 35-65) Weinheim, FRG: Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA. doi: 10.1002/3527606742.ch3

Journal Article

Conference Publication

  • Simulating quantum systems in biology, chemistry, and physics

    Lanyon, Benjamin P., Whitfield, James D., Gillett, Geoffrey G., Goggin, Michael E., Almeida, Marcelo P., Kassal, Ivan, Biamonte, Jacob D., Mohseni, Masoud, Powell, Benjamin J., Barbieri, Marco, Aspuru-Guzik, Alan and White, Andrew G. (2011). Simulating quantum systems in biology, chemistry, and physics. 241st National Meeting and Exposition of the American-Chemical-Society (ACS), Anaheim Ca, Mar 27-31, 2011. WASHINGTON: AMER CHEMICAL SOC.

  • Charge transport properties of carbazole dendrimers in organic field-effect transistors

    Mutkins, Karyn, Chen, Simon S. Y., Aljada, Muhsen, Powell, Ben J., Olsen, Seth, Burn, Paul L. and Meredith, Paul (2011). Charge transport properties of carbazole dendrimers in organic field-effect transistors. Conference on Organic Field-Effect Transistors X, San Diego, United States, 22-23 August 2011. Bellingham, WA, United States: S P I E - International Society for Optical Engineering. doi: 10.1117/12.892640

  • Is melanin a semiconductor: The mysteries of electrical conduction and melanin bioelectronics?

    Meredith, P., Mostert, B., Gentle, I. R., Hanson, G., Tandy, K., Namdas, E., Pratt, F. and Powell, B. J. (2011). Is melanin a semiconductor: The mysteries of electrical conduction and melanin bioelectronics?. ipcc2011: International Pigment Cell Conference. Skin and Other Pigment Cells: Bridging Clinical Medicine and Science, Bordeaux, France, 20-24 September 2011. Malden, MA, U.S.A.: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing. doi: 10.1111/j.1755-148X.2011.00885.x

  • Quantum chemistry on a quantum computer: First steps and prospects

    Lanyon, B. P., Whitfield, J. D., Gillett, G. G., Goggin, M. E., Almeida, M. P., Kassal, I., Biamonte, J. D., Mohseni, M., Powell, B. J., Barbieri, M., Aspuru-Guzik, A. and White, A. G. (2009). Quantum chemistry on a quantum computer: First steps and prospects. Laser Science, LS 2009, San Jose, CA, United States, 11 - 15 October 2009. Washington, D.C.: Optical Society of America. doi: 10.1364/fio.2009.jwd3

  • Pomeranchuk instability: Symmetry-breaking and experimental signatures

    Quintanilla, J., Hooley, C., Powell, B. J., Schofield, A. J. and Haque, M. (2008). Pomeranchuk instability: Symmetry-breaking and experimental signatures. SCES2007: International Conference on Strongly Correlated Electron Systems, Houston, TX, USA, 13-18 May, 2007. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.physb.2007.10.126

  • Massively parallel simulations on light-induced charge transfer in molecules

    Pederson, Mark R., Anderson, W. A., Baruah, Tunna and Powell, B. J. (2006). Massively parallel simulations on light-induced charge transfer in molecules. HPCMP Users Group Conference (HPCMP-UGC'06), Denver CO, United States, 26-29 June 2006. Piscataway, NJ United States: IEEE. doi: 10.1109/HPCMP-UGC.2006.44

  • The origin of the difference in the superconducting critical temperatures of the beta(H) and beta(L) phases of (BEDT-TTF)(2)I-3

    Powell, B. J. (2004). The origin of the difference in the superconducting critical temperatures of the beta(H) and beta(L) phases of (BEDT-TTF)(2)I-3. Les Ulis Cedexa: EDP Sciences. doi: 10.1051/jp4:2004114084

  • The behaviour of a triplet superconductor in a spin only magnetic field

    Powell, B. J., Annett, J. F. and Gyorffy, B. L. (2002). The behaviour of a triplet superconductor in a spin only magnetic field. International Conference on Ruthenate and Rutheno-Cuprate Materials, Vietri sul Mare, Italy, 25-27 October 2001. Berlin, Germany: Springer.

Other Outputs

Grants (Administered at UQ)

PhD and MPhil Supervision

Current Supervision

  • Theories of strongly correlated electrons in metal-organic frameworks

    Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

  • New Methods for Strongly Correlated Electrons in Chemically Complex Materials

    Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • The role of spin-orbit coupling in spin crossover materials

    Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Stimuli Responsive Single Molecule Switches

    Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Emergence of fractionalised quasiparticles in spin-crossover materials

    Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

  • Thermodynamic properties of atomic defects for quantum technologies

    Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Computer-aided material discovery for light-emitting materials in OLEDs

    Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

  • First principles calculations of defects in solids for quantum technologies

    Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Is the superconducting phase compact or not?

    Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

    Other advisors:

Completed Supervision

Possible Research Projects

Note for students: The possible research projects listed on this page may not be comprehensive or up to date. Always feel free to contact the staff for more information, and also with your own research ideas.

  • New types of particles in spin-crossover materials

    Condensed matter physicists sometimes pity our colleagues in high-energy physics. They are limited to studying a single vacuum and its excitations: the particles of the standard model. For condensed matter physicists every new phase of matter brings a new ‘vacuum’. Remarkably the low-energy excitations of these new vacua can be very different from the individual electrons, protons and neutrons that constitute the material. The condensed matter multiverse contains universes where the particle-like excitations carry only a fraction of the elementary electronic charge are magnetic monopole, or are their own antiparticle. None of these properties have ever been observed in the particles found in free space. Often emergent gauge fields accompany these ‘fractionalized’ particles, just as electromagnetic gauge fields accompany charged particles.

    In this project you will discover the nature of the particles that emerge a recently phase of matter – the spin-state ice – that is predicted to occur in spin crossover materials. You will develop new theories of these materials and seek to discover other exotic phases in them.

  • Spin crossover materials

    Some molecules are magnetic. Others are not. Spin-crossover molecules are unusual because they can be switched between magnetic (high-spin) and non-magnetic (more generally, low-spin) states by temperature, pressure, chemical environment, or irradiation by light. Furthermore, materials containing spin-crossover molecules can display phase transitions between states with different spatial patterns of molecules with high- and low-spin that have similarities to emergent states with magnetic, orbital and charge ordering, such as antiferromagnetism.

    The fundamental question you will investigate is: why does this happen? This will require the application of state-of-the-art computational methodologies to describe the quantum behavior of the electrons in these materials. Importantly, the electrons interact strongly with one another in these systems. This means that the behaviors are collective and the standard approaches to chemistry, where we treat each electron independently, fail miserably. Instead you will use supercomputers to model the collective physics.

  • Design and control of quantum materials: metal organic frameworks (MOFs)

    Materials are vital for modern technology. Our understanding and control of the physics of silicon enabled the digital revolution. But electron-electron interactions are not important for the physics of silicon. In many other materials quantum mechanical electron-electron interactions determine the properties of the materials. These quantum materials show amazing properties such as high temperature superconductivity and sometime have excitations that are very different from the properties of the vacuum [1]. If we could routinely design and control quantum materials it would revolutionise technologies from electricity distribution to computing. But currently we have very limited abilities to design quantum materials. A new class of materials, MOFs, may be the key to enabling the rational design of quantum materials. Several projects are available in this area using techniques varying from supercomputer calculations to pen and paper theory to help change this in collaboration with world leading synthetic chemists and experimental physicists.

    [1] B. J. Powell, The expanding materials multiverse, Science 360, 1074 (2018)

  • Can we design a room temperature, ambient pressure superconductor?

    A room temperature, ambient pressure superconductor would change the world. We could plant "farms" of solar panels in the outback and losslessly transport the energy generated to capital cities and Asia, dramatically lowering the cost of power generation. But the world record for the highest temperature ambient pressure superconductor hasn't increased in decades.

    However, new types of materials have recently emerged that can be clicked together like lego. This offers us the chance to design new materials with taylored propoerties from the ground up. However, doing so is a formidable theoretical challenge that requires understanding the quantum mechanical behaviours of 10^23 electrons simulatneously? In this project you will develop and apply new theoretical techniques to attack this problem.

This staff member is a UQ Expert for media in the following fields:

Theoretical physics, Theoretical chemistry, Solid state physics, Condensed matter physics, Low temperature physics, Quantum mechanics, Solar cells, Organic electronics, Superconductors, Magnetism, Melanin, Biophysics, Statistical mechanics

They are happy to lend their expertise to your articles or broadcasts and share their research discoveries and insights with the community via media channels.

For additional assistance with story ideas, general advice and information or help with seeking further experts, please email the UQ Media Team or telephone (07) 3365 1120.

Links

ResearcherID: B-1281-2009

ORCID: 0000-0002-5161-1317

Personal Profile: Link

Unit Links
Other Media

Related Resources

Similar Staff
Researchers in Associated Units
Fields of Research