Over 80 Australian and international physicists met at UNSW last month to discuss spin and strong-electron correlations in the university’s biennial Gordon Godfrey Workshop, including a very strong FLEET contingent.
Leading international speakers came from as far afield as China, Denmark, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Switzerland, Russia and USA, including Prof David Neilson (University of Camerino), a pioneer of electron-hole exciton interactions.
Co-sponsorship by the Godfrey Bequest (see below), the UNSW School of Physics and FLEET allowed free registration to all workshop participants, maximising the benefit of this gathering.
The 2017 Gordon Godfrey Workshop on Spin and Strong Electron Correlations was held at UNSW, School of Physics, from 30 October to 3 November 2017. The workshop brought together 74 scientists including 37 invited speakers from Australia.
This year’s workshop was opened by Prof Emma Johnston, Dean of Science at UNSW.
Discussion topics such as spin–orbit interaction in itinerant systems and nanostructures, novel two-dimensional materials, charge transport, BECs and electron-hole superfluidity made the workshop particularly valuable for FLEET. In addition to FLEET Deputy Director Prof Alex Hamilton, Oleg Sushkov, Jan Siedel and a host of other UNSW researchers, FLEET researchers from RMIT University and Monash University also presented findings.
An informal poster session allowed a dozen students and early-career researchers to share some of their results and exchange ideas. Such vigorous discussions and networking toward future collaboration continued from conference rooms to poster sessions to the thoroughly-enjoyable social event at the Opera Bar by Sydney Opera House, where attendees were fortuitously able to enjoy a fireworks show.
The biennial workshop honours Prof Gordon Godfrey, previous head of UNSW’s School of Applied Physics, who made made many contributions to physics education and research. The Godfrey Bequest supports theoretical physics at UNSW, including financial support to bring academic visitors to the University, undergraduate prizes, postgraduate scholarships, and the workshop.
See the program.
Emma Johnston, Dean of Science at UNSW Sydney, opening the conference
Delegates
Delegates
Conference delegates networking
Prof David Neilson, University of Camerino