Electricity is a defining feature of our age - it charges our phones, powers our homes, and courses through our cities. While most materials host a resistance to the flow of electricity, quantum mechanics allows for a unique phase of matter at that can conduct electricity perfectly. At low enough temperatures, the electrons in this phase can travel through the material as if they don’t bump into anything - losing no energy as they move from one end to the other. This wonderful phase is known as the superconductor. In this course we will explore the story of superconductivity, beginning with its discovery and surveying the superconductors remarkable properties along with the curious dance that the electrons perform beneath its surface. We will motivate how driving this phenomena to room temperature or higher would enable a significant advancement in our current energy infrastructure and would help combat some of our most challenging energy problems. Bring your curiosity and we’ll provide the rest!

Electrons are everywhere. They are one of the fundamental building blocks of nature, responsible for holding together most of the world around us. At the same time, we have learned to make tremendous use of them in modern electronics where they power our computers and charge our phones. Electrons are also funny characters. On their own, these particles can’t stand being near each other and possess “fundamental” traits like charge and mass. However, when nature allows them to dance with each other in some materials, they can do wonderful things like conduct electricity perfectly, seemingly split into smaller pieces, and even behave like light itself. Together we’ll explore how these little guys operating at the small scale are able to do such great feats at the large one. This course is designed to be an accessible and exciting introduction to the crazy world of electrons. On our journey we will uncover the wonders of superconductivity, explore how transistors work, examine the remarkable properties of graphene, and so much more. Bring your curiosity and we’ll provide the rest!

Electrons are everywhere. They are one of the fundamental building blocks of nature, responsible for holding together most of the world around us. At the same time, we have learned to make tremendous use of them in modern electronics where they power our computers and charge our phones. Electrons are also funny characters. On their own, these particles can’t stand being near each other and possess “fundamental” traits like charge and mass. However, when nature allows them to dance with each other in some materials, they can do wonderful things like conduct electricity perfectly, seemingly split into smaller pieces, and even behave like light itself. Together we’ll explore how these little guys operating at the small scale are able to do such great feats at the large one. This course is designed to be an accessible and exciting introduction to the crazy world of electrons. On our journey we will uncover the wonders of superconductivity, explore how transistors work, examine the remarkable properties of graphene, and so much more. Bring your curiosity and we’ll provide the rest!

Electrons are everywhere. They are one of the fundamental building blocks of nature, responsible for holding together most of the world around us. At the same time, we have learned to make tremendous use of them in modern electronics where they power our computers and charge our phones. Electrons are also funny characters. On their own, these particles can’t stand being near each other and possess “fundamental” traits like charge and mass. However, when nature allows them to dance with each other in some materials, they can do wonderful things like conduct electricity perfectly, seemingly split into smaller pieces, and even behave like light itself. Together we’ll explore how these little guys operating at the small scale are able to do such great feats at the large one. This course is designed to be an accessible and exciting introduction to the crazy world of electrons. On our journey we will uncover the wonders of superconductivity, explore how transistors work, examine the remarkable properties of graphene, and so much more. Bring your curiosity and we’ll provide the rest!