Physics Department News
The correlation function is an important quantity in the physics of interacting quantum systems such as, e.g. ultracold quantum gases, because it provides information about the quantum many-body wave function beyond a simple density profile. We explicitly calculate the local correlation functions in terms of interaction strength and symmetry phase at zero, low, and intermediate temperatures. We also express the leading order of the short distance non-local correlation functions 
of the strongly repulsive Bose gas in terms of the wave function of M bosons at zero collision energy and zero total momentum. These general formulas of the higher-order local and non-local correlation functions of the 1D Bose gas provide new insights into the many-body physics.
Citation: EJKP Nandani et al 2016 New J. Phys. 18 055014
Umbilic Lines in Orientational Order
Ordered materials such as Bose condensates, and liquid crystals display complex three-dimensional structures. Research by Thomas Machon and Gareth Alexander provides new insights into their behaviour.
The damping profile of standing kink modes in coronal loops
Oscillations of solar coronal loops are observed to be strongly damped. This can be explained by mode coupling, which coverts the wave energy from bulk transverse motions to localised, unresolved azimuthal motions. Using the highest quality data currently available, we have found evidence for the Gaussian damping profile predicted by the recently developed theory of damping by mode coupling.
Electronic Origin and Tailoring of Photovoltaic Effect in BiFeO3 Single Crystals (Adv. Electron. Mater. 2015, 1500139)
Well, high school physics (courtesy Herr (Mr.) Albert Einstein) tells us that when a material is subjected to illumination, an electron in released from the valence to the conduction band under the condition that the energy of the incoming photon is higher than the band gap of the material. This effect is known as the photoelectric effect. If, by any means, this electron is forced to remain in conduction band, then a persistent current can be drawn from the material. This is pretty much the underlying mechanism of solar cells, where such electrons are inhibited from recombining by creating an artificial potential junction...