Man D. Nguyen

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Man Nguyen

I am a condensed matter physicist specializing in the study of superfluidity and unconventional superconductivity. My work involves extensive use of RF spectroscopy, microfabrication techniques, 3-D modeling, and computer simulations to explore the emergent phenomena at ultra low temperatures. Besides the high-tech "physicsy" stuff, I enjoy doing a lot of the plumbing, machining, handy-man work that comes with being an experimentalist. I did my undergrad at UCLA and doctoral studies at Northwestern University working with Prof. Bill Halperin.

Research Preview

The Fermi liquid and superfluid states of He-3 at ultra low temperatures provides some of the most fruitful grounds to study quantum phenomena. These properties are revealed through NMR, acoustic spectroscopy, or many other techniques. Acoustic studies are useful because they are sensitive to the collective excitations in the system. One particular sound mode that is essentially unique to He-3 is transverse sound, where the polarization of the wave is perpendicular to the wavevector. Using microfabrication techniques on a silicon substrate, small acoustic cavities are created that confine the sound to a few microns forming a standing wave. The character of this cavity mode and how it changes with pressure or temperature provide insight into the properties of the fluid.