Quantum Materials
![Spins in CuO](cuo.jpg?maxWidth=300)
An emerging class of quantum materials with strong electronic correlations exhibit unique functionalities, such as multiferroicity, colossal magnetoresistance and memristive behaviour. Ultrafast spectroscopy (e.g. THz emission spectroscopy using an OPA as a tunable fs UV source) will permit dynamic magnetoelectric coupling to be examined, for instance in multiferroic heterostructures. Further, bulk materials with atomic scale defects, such as the N-V-centre in diamond, are attractive for quantum cryptography and spintronics applications: mid-IR pump-probe spectroscopy will permit electron dynamics in such defect complexes to be examined, providing important enabling information needed for optoelectronic applications. The high-field THz beamline will enable pioneering science in the area of non-equilibrium dynamics. The extreme THz electric field strength (>1GV/m) will be used to substantially perturb quantum materials. This will permit studies of optically-driven phase transitions on ultra-short timescales. Examining spin dynamics in topological insulators, semiconductors and half-metallic ferromagnets on ultrafast timescales using pulsed THz magnetic fields (>3T) will also provide a fertile area of research enabled by this facility.