Sergey Syzranov
My research lies in theoretical condensed matter and statistical physics, spanning disordered and interacting quantum systems, frustrated magnetism, including spin liquids and spin glasses, and topological semimetals. I explore how quenched randomness and frustration give rise to novel phase transitions and transport phenomena. Part of my work develops descriptions of both materials and engineered quantum platforms using information-theory concepts. This research connects fundamental theory to experiments in solid-state systems and ultracold gases.
My publications on arXiv
Every material is imperfect: it contains frozen-in disorder, such as impurities, missing atoms, and dislocations. Instead of just “ruining” subtle quantum behavior, these defects can create new physics: they can lead to novel phase transitions, generate unusual magnetic textures, store information, and even expose hidden energy scales that pristine crystals keep concealed.
My group studies how quenched disorder reshapes a wide range of quantum materials. One active direction focuses on quantum spin liquid (QSL) candidates, exotic magnets where spins behave more like a fluid than an ordered array, with a potential for quantum-information applications. In recent work with experimentalist A. P. Ramirez, we showed that deliberately adding vacancies can reveal a previously hidden energy scale, below which many QSL-candidate materials freeze into a random magnetic state and which also has fingerprints in thermodynamics and neutron scattering.
In a separate line of work, we explore how defects can act like tiny magnets. A single missing atom may create an emergent “quasispin,” which open intriguing prospects for robust, non-volatile magnetic memory and information processing.
Finally, disorder strongly determines electrical conduction and may sometimes turn a metal into an insulator. For an overview of these directions of research, see papers below: