Cyprian Lewandowski

When did you join FSU? What made you choose your university to build your research program?

I joined the FSU faculty in August of 2022. The condensed matter group, both theoretical and experimental, is very strong. All faculty have significant overlapping interests; thus, frequent interaction and joined research projects are possible and common. Another strength of the FSU is the Quantum Initiative effort, which will further allow for multiple interdepartmental faculty collaborations and expand the extent of quantum research efforts here at FSU. As a theorist, I am experimentally driven and emphasize frequent collaboration with experimental groups. For this reason, the presence of the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory is also a very exciting and unique opportunity as it allows me to interact with many visiting scientists from world-leading groups, discuss their research, and establish experimental-theory collaborations.

When did you become interested in quantum research? Who or what inspired you?

As an undergraduate student, I knew that I wanted to do theoretical physics, but I did not know what branch of physics interested me. This changed during my summer undergraduate research opportunity at MIT in the group of my future PhD supervisor, Prof. Leonid Levitov. During that summer, I worked with a graduate student (now Prof. Joaquin Rodriguez-Nieva). Together, we studied the conceptually simple, yet very physics-rich problem of a 2D Dirac particle in graphene in a potential well. This problem is a quantum analog of classical whispering gallery modes, and it inspired me to pursue condensed matter and quantum research. The idea that some phenomena inspired by classical effects can be realized on a quantum scale is fascinating.

What are your current research interests? Could you give an example of some recent result that you feel especially passionate about?

Currently, I am excited about the field of 2D materials, particularly the moiré materials, a recently discovered family of strongly interacting systems. In these moiré systems, stacking and twisting two (or more) materials with known electronic properties results in a vastly different system in which electronic behavior deviates strongly from a conventional (weakly interacting) understanding of solids. Unlike other strongly interacting systems, however, these materials are straightforward in their structure. The moon-shot idea in the field is that by understanding the properties of these systems, we may even be able to solve some long-standing problems, such as room-temperature superconductivity. A more straightforward but perhaps also more concrete example of such research methodology is provided by my recent work on devising design principles for enhancing bulk photocurrent generation, using moiré materials as an example. This scheme is very general and can also apply to other materials pursued in this context.

How would you describe your research to general public? Why is your topic important?

A central paradigm of condensed matter physics is the concept of emergence. It is the idea that combining objects with known properties, such as atoms, into larger objects, like crystals, can produce unexpected and new phenomena. Often, these can be leveraged to create novel technologies to advance society. These emergent phenomena frequently arise from the collective behavior of all system elements.

As a condensed matter theorist, I focus on materials whose electronic theory is conceptually simple, yet leads to a wide range of unexpected experimental behaviors. In particular, I work in the field of 2D materials, which are only a few atoms thick. We can stack two or more such materials with known properties – just like one would stack Legos, – but then end up with vastly different, unusual and exciting properties. In my research, I follow this paradigm and leverage my understanding of different 2D materials to design (engineer) new materials with desirable electronic and optical properties. These new types of materials may help meet various technological needs, such as efficient photodetectors, new designs for solar cells, or miniaturization of electrical components.

What do you think about the future of quantum research? How can FSU contribute to that future?

A fascinating part of quantum research for me is asking how we can purpose-build materials that employ fundamental quantum principles to accomplish different technological goals. For example, conventional electronic circuit approaches can convert alternating to direct current. However, if similar rectification can be carried out using a single material, this readily allows for miniaturization. Another example involves solar cells, where the mechanism for electric current generation involves manufactured p-n junctions. Yet again, new quantum materials rely on fundamentally different and quantum-in-nature physical mechanisms that intrinsically allow such current generation to be designed. Frequently, such quantum-in-nature mechanisms also allow for an increase in efficiency compared to conventional approaches. FSU, with its strong background in condensed and material physics in conjunction with the expertise present at the MagLab, is ideally positioned to explore such technological challenges.

What are your interests outside of research? What do you like to do in your free time?

In my free time, I am an avid fantasy book reader (in particular, a huge Brandon Sanderson fan) and a board game player (I enjoy strategy board games the most—Terraforming Mars and all its expansions are my favorite). You can frequently see me wearing fantasy or board game themed T-shirts.