Alladi Ramakrishnan Hall

From Simplicity to Quantum Complexity

Prof. G. Baskaran

IMSc/ Perimeter Institute

Carbon atoms bind via simple sp1, sp2 or sp3 quantum mechanical bonds to
produce many allotropes - graphite, diamond, carbon nanotubes, bucky ball,
carbon chains, carbon black, amorphous carbon, Q carbon and their limitless
combinations.  Resulting quantum complexity is some what unique among elements. An aerial view of an emerging hierarchy of phenomena and quantum properties in the rich world of pure elemental carbon
will be sketched. Some of them include relativistic type quantum effects in graphene. Further, there are quantum entangled novel spin liquid phases, Majorana fermion excitation and high Tc
ferromagnetism. There seems to be even a room for room temperature superconductivity in the world of carbon.