Leonid Levitov
MIT
Turing instability and current-driven Kapitsa waves in electron fluids
Location: 1080 Physics Research Building
Faculty Host: Brian Skinner
Abstract: Achieving oscillations and coherent emission in electron systems driven by a DC current has long been seen as a way to uncover new collective effects with potential technological impact. Earlier attempts, based on Bloch oscillations and the Dyakonov–Shur instability, have been explored for decades, but with only limited success. In this talk, I’ll discuss a different approach inspired by recent advances in graphene. It’s based on the Turing instability — a well-known mechanism of pattern formation in nonequilibrium systems, familiar from biology and fluid dynamics. We’ll see that in current-carrying electron fluids, this instability can give rise to spatially periodic patterns in current and temperature, similar to Kapitsa waves in thin fluid films flowing down a slope. These patterns represent a new type of electronic self-organization, driven by the material’s own internal dynamics. They point to a new way of shaping how energy, electricity and heat flow in two-dimensional materials.
Bio: MIT Bio