Research Interests
The main goal of my research in condensed matter physics is to seek to understand the physics of electrons that underlie dramatically different materials' properties; to design new ways of tuning materials' properties, and even to create new phases of materials with novel and exotic properties. I study single crystals of selected strongly correlated materials in the laboratory via bulk probes, both of the transport and thermodynamic properties. Single crystals of various families of materials including quantum magnets, pnictides, and heavy fermion systems are grown using flux growth techniques, and bulk measurements and performed both in-house and in external high magnetic field facilities. To further probe unconventional phases of matter of interest, I perform electronic structure measurements using the tool of quantum oscillations at ultra-low temperatures and high magnetic fields on extremely pure single crystals.
Career History
2010 – current: University Research Fellowship (awarded by The Royal Society), Cavendish Laboratory, Dept. of Physics, Cambridge University, U.K
2010 – 2014: Non-stipendiary Research Fellowship (awarded by King’s College, Cambridge)
2007 - 2009: ICAM postdoctoral fellowship (awarded by Institute for Complex Adaptive Matter)
2007: Lee-Osheroff-Richardson prize (awarded by Oxford Instruments)
2006 - 2010: Trinity Junior Research Fellow (Physics), Cavendish Laboratory, Dept. of Physics, Cambridge University, U.K
2003 - 2006: Harvey Fellow (graduate fellowship awarded by Mustard Seed Foundation)
Sept 2000 - 2006: MS, PhD (Applied Physics), Stanford University: ‘Bose-Einstein condensation in spin-dimer compounds’
1997 - 2000: Management Consultant, Tata Strategic Management Group, India
1995 - 1997: MBA, Indian Institute of Management (Ahmedabad), India
1992 - 1995: BSc (Physics), Women’s Christian College, Madras University, India
Selected Publications
“Chemical potential oscillations from nodal Fermi surface pocket in the underdoped high-temperature superconductor YBa2Cu3O6+x”, Nature Communications, 2, DOI:10.1038/ncomms1468 (2011): S. E. Sebastian, N. Harrison, M. M. Altarawneh, R. Liang, D. A. Bonn, W. N. Hardy, G. G. Lonzarich
“Fermi liquid behaviour in an underdoped high Tc superconductor”, Physical Review B Rapid Commn. 81, 140505(R) (2010): Suchitra E.Sebastian, N. Harrison, M. M. Altarawneh, Ruixing Liang, D. A. Bonn, W. N. Hardy, G. G. Lonzarich
“Metal-insulator quantum critical point beneath the high Tc superconducting dome”, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 107, 6175 (2010): Suchitra E. Sebastian, N. Harrison, M. M. Altarawneh, C. H. Mielke, Ruixing Liang, D. A. Bonn, W. N. Hardy, G. G. Lonzarich
“Heavy holes - precursor to superconductivity in antiferromagnetic CeIn3”, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 106, 7741 (2009): Suchitra E. Sebastian, N. Harrison, C. D. Batista, S. A. Trugman, V. Fanelli, M. Jaime, T. P. Murphy, E. C. Palm, H. Harima and T. Ebihara
“Superconductivity up to 29 K in SrFe2As2 and BaFe2As2 at high pressures”, Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter 21, 012208 (2008): Patricia L. Alireza, Jack Gillett, Y. T. Chris Ko, Chiara M Petrone, Jacqueline M Cole, Gilbert G. Lonzarich and Suchitra E. Sebastian†
“Quantum oscillations in the parent magnetic phase of an iron arsenide high temperature superconductor”, Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter 20, 422203 (2008): Suchitra E. Sebastian, J. Gillett, N. Harrison, P. H. C. Lau, D. J. Singh, C. H. Mielke and G. G. Lonzarich
“Fractalization drives crystalline states in a frustrated spin system”, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 105, 20157 (2008): Suchitra E. Sebastian, N. Harrison, P. Sengupta, C. D. Batista, S. Francoual, E. Palm, T. Murphy, N. Marcano, H. A. Dabkowska, B. D. Gaulin
“Multi-component Fermi surface in an underdoped high temperature superconductor”, Nature 454, 200 (2008): Suchitra E. Sebastian, N. Harrison, E. Palm, T. P. Murphy, Ruixing Liang, D. A. Bonn, W. N. Hardy & G. G. Lonzarich
“Dimensional reduction at a quantum critical point”, Nature 441, 617 (2006): S. E. Sebastian, N. Harrison, C. D. Batista, L. Balicas, M. Jaime, P. A. Sharma, N. Kawashima, I.R. Fisher
“Characteristic BEC scaling near Quantum Critical Point inBaCuSi2O6”, Physical Review B 72, 100404(R) (2005): S. E. Sebastian, P. A. Sharma, M. Jaime, N. Harrison, V. Correa, L. Balicas, N. Kawashima, C. D. Batista, I.R. Fisher
“Microwave conductivity and penetration depth in the heavy fermion superconductor CeCo”, Physical Review Letters 88(4), 7005 (2002): R. J. Ormeno, A. Sibley, C. E. Gough, S. Sebastian, I.R. Fisher