From Topological Insulators to Majorana Fermions

** Please note this event is on MONDAY not Wednesday and will be held at 3:00pm not 3:30pm. ** "From Topological Insulators to Majorana Fermions" - The discovery of topological insulators has created a revolution in condensed matter science that has far ranging implications over coming decades. I will introduce a simple way to understand the essential ideas of band inversion and symmetry protection. I will then apply these ideas to insulators, semimetals, and superconductors. In the superconductor case, Majorana fermion(s) may appear on the boundary and induces fractional Josephson effects. All these topological aspects in solid-state systems can be fit into an elegant "periodic building", with the Kitaev table being its ground floor. Experimental signatures, potential applications, and future directions will be discussed. Refreshments will be served after the event in room 128.