GHN-colloquium with Prof. Ana Akrap (University of Fribourg)

Summary

The GHN-Colloquium talk series features the female scientists of the Grete-Hermann-Network (GHN)—a newly founded international network of female researchers in condensed matter physics and neighboring research areas. Distinguished female researchers are invited to give a lecture on their research and current projects, as well as about their career paths, to inspire young female scientists in particular, and to exchange ideas. After the official talk there will be an internal GHN-networking event.

On February 28, 2023, we are happy to welcome Prof. Ana Akrap from University of Fribourg (Switzerland) who will give an online scientific talk on Landau level spectroscopy as a window into topological semimetals.

Talk abstract

A strong magnetic field confines band electrons to a discrete set of Landau levels. The material’s band structure is directly linked to the energy spectrum of these Landau levels. With infrared light, we can excite transitions of carriers from one level to another, and these are called inter-Landau level transitions. Since the early 1950s, this Landau level spectroscopy has been widely employed as an extremely sensitive probe of semimetal and semiconductor band structures.

I will give an overview of our recent progress on Landau level spectroscopy of Dirac and Weyl semimetals. Through advanced techniques, we can resolve intricate complexities of their bands, all while discovering new physics. I will present our new analysis of highly detailed inter-Landau level transition maps in extreme magnetic fields. I will discuss how novel approaches allows us to further exploit the rich magneto-optical spectra, and gain deep knowledge of topological semimetals.

About Ana Akrap

Ana is an associate Professor in the Department of Physics, at the University of Fribourg, and alumna of the Elisabeth Schiemann Kolleg of the Max Planck society.

Previously she was a researcher in Condensed Matter Physics at the University of Geneva, working in the Quantum Materials Group led by Prof. Dirk van der Marel. She received her PhD from EPFL.

In 2011 she was awarded a Boursière d’excellence fellowship from the University of Geneva. More recently in 2013 she received the Ambizione fellowship from the Swiss National Science Fund, followed by the SNSF Professeur Boursier grant in 2017.

Her areas of expertise are magneto-optical spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and transport properties of topological materials and strongly correlated materials. She also does high pressure and thermoelectricity research.