ABOUT
Quantum materials is an umbrella term that describes the broad class of solids whose physical properties are strongly influenced by enhanced quantum effects, including quantum magnets, superconductors and topological electronic materials. They often have striking functional properties, such as superconductivity, spin-polarised electron transport, and a variety of enhanced cross-coupling phenomena including magnetotransport, multiferroic and magnetocaloric effects. Exploratory research that seeks to explain why quantum materials exhibit their special characteristics is important for developing new materials with desirable properties for applications ranging from energy efficiency and information technology, to electronics and spintronics. Scattering techniques play a major role in quantum materials research because they give direct and clean experimental access to the underlying response functions that characterise electronic correlations.
This Theme will bring together experimentalists and theoreticians with common interests in quantum materials to identify new opportunities in quantum materials research at the ESS and MAX IV.
HAPPENING IN THEME
Are you new to soft X-ray techniques or curious about how synchrotron-based methods can support your research? Join us for the LINXS–MAX IV Summer School, taking place 18–22 August in Lund, Sweden!
Welcome to this tutorial workshop with the Qmat theme on different X-ray and neutron techniques, with focus on their strengths and weaknesses, as well as their relevance to quantum materials.
QMAT COMMUNITY LIST SIGNUP

CORE GROUP
Quantum Materials: Linking theory and experiments at LINXS, ESS and MAX IV: Core Group Co-Leader, Leader of WG 2 – Strong electronic quantum correlations, LINXS Fellow
Division Head for Spectroscopy at ESS, Sweden, and Affiliated Professor, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Pascale joined the European Spallation Source in 2011, having previously held positions at the Institut Laue-Langevin and the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility. She became the Division Head for Spectroscopy at the ESS in 2024. She is lead scientist responsible for designing and building the cold neutron chopper spectrometer CSPEC at the ESS. As well as instrumentation, her scientific interests include strongly correlated electron systems, magnetic frustration and quantum magnetism.
Quantum Materials: Linking theory and experiments at LINXS, ESS and MAX IV: Core Group member, LINXS Fellow
Director of MAX IV Laboratory, Sweden.
Charlie is a professor in experimental physics at Uppsala University, focusing on ultrafast electron dynamics in magnetic materials and energy harvesting materials. He was Head of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Uppsala from 2015 until 2022. Since July 1, 2023 he is also the Director of the Swedish synchrotron facility, MAX IV in Lund.
Quantum Materials: Linking theory and experiments at LINXS, ESS and MAX IV: Core Group member, LINXS Fellow
Professor at Department of Physics and Astronomy; Materials Theory, Uppsala University, Sweden.
Olle is Professor of Materials Theory in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, a post he has held since 2002. His research employs first-principles calculations to study magnetism and chemical bonding, as well as lattice dynamics and finite temperature effects of phase stability. He is Co-Director of the WISE network of Sustainable Materials, supported by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation.
Quantum Materials: Linking theory and experiments at LINXS, ESS and MAX IV: Core Group member, LINXS Fellow
Professor at Synchrotron Radiation Research, Department of Physics, Lund University, Sweden.
Elizabeth has extensive experience with both neutron and x-ray scattering methods, with a particular focus on magnetic materials. She is a professor at the Division of Synchrotron Radiation Research, within the Department of Physics, Lund University, and is tasked with promoting research into magnetic materials at Lund University. Elizabeth is also a board member for the Condensed Matter Physics section of the Svenska Fysikersamfundet, and led the New Materials LINXS theme.
Quantum Materials: Linking theory and experiments at LINXS, ESS and MAX IV: Core Group member, Leader of WG 1 – Ab initio modelling, LINXS Fellow
Senior Scientist, ISIS Neutron & Muon Facility, UK, and Chair of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel for ESS Data Management and Software Centre, Denmark.
Toby joined the ISIS Neutron & Muon Facility in 1992 and has held various positions as a research and instrument scientist at ISIS, becoming an STFC Fellow in 2005. In 2007 he became an honorary professor in physics at London Centre for Nanotechnology, University College London. Alongside his research interests in magnetic materials, Toby has developed techniques, instrumentation and software to study excitation spectra from single crystals at pulsed neutron sources.
WORKING GROUPS FOR QMAT
QMat Working Group 1
Ab initio modelling
This working group explores how ab initio modelling of quantum materials can be exploited in the interpretation of neutron and synchrotron x-ray experiments (neutron diffraction and spectroscopy, RIXS, ARPES). The power of first principles methods (e.g., DFT, DMFT) has increased enormously in recent years, enabling the calculation of spin exchange interactions, spin waves, topological electronic bands, and more, and software is becoming available to enable users to perform calculations on their own systems. The aim of the working group is to learn about these new capabilities and how they can help solve scientific challenges alongside neutron and x-ray experiments.
QMat Working Group 2
Strong electronic quantum correlations
This working group covers the wide range of different quantum phenomena that occur in crystalline solids with strongly interacting electrons. For example, quantum spin liquids, magnetic frustration, unconventional superconductivity, entanglement, etc. The group will learn about the latest advances in quantum phenomena, seek testable predictions from theoretical models, and identify real-world materials that can be used to test the predictions. On the experimental side, relevant techniques include inelastic neutron scattering and resonant inelastic x-ray scattering.
QMat Working Group 3
Topological quantum materials
This working group brings together experimentalists and theoreticians interested in topological effects in quantum materials, such as topological electronic and magnon bands, and topological magnetic textures (e.g. skyrmions). The aim is to identify opportunities for experiments that can test theoretical predictions. Currently, there are many predictions which have yet to be realised experimentally, and the search for suitable materials, especially magnetically ordered materials, which realise the predicted characteristics will be an important topic for the working group. Relevant experimental techniques are angle-resolved photoemission (ARPES), neutron diffraction (polarised and unpolarised), neutron spectroscopy, and small-angle neutron and x-ray scattering.
Quantum Materials: Linking theory and experiments at LINXS, ESS and MAX IV: Core Group Leader, Leader of WG 3 – Topological quantum materials, LINXS Fellow
Professor, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, UK.
Andrew is a Professor of Physics at the University of Oxford, a Tutorial Fellow of Oriel College, and Associate Head of the Department of Physics. He is an experimentalist with broad interests in the fundamental properties of quantum materials, especially superconductors, magnetic materials, and topological semimetals. His group uses neutron and synchrotron x-ray scattering techniques to investigate novel electronic ground states and associated physical phenomena.