Condensed Matter Theory Office: CP-361 Phone: (859) 257-3143
Research Interests
Professor Fertig is interested in the theoretical physics of low dimensional
condensed matter systems. These include the two-dimensional electron gas,
which supports an amazingly broad variety of phenomena and states: the quantum
Hall effect, metal-insulator transitions, electron crystals, highly correlated
metals, striped states, and quantum ferromagnetism. In addition, his research
includes studies of vortex matter in superconducting systems, in which the
competition between interactions of the vortices among themselves and with
defects in the materials leads to pinning phenomena, of fundamental as well as
practical interest. Finally, Prof. Fertig is interested in formulations of
density functional theory, a powerful method that allows practical calculations
of quantum mechanical properties in atoms, molecules, and solids.
Education
A.B., Physics, Princeton University (1982)
Ph.D., Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics, Harvard University (1988)
Postdoctoral Fellows
William Hoston
Hoang Nguyen
Wei Zhang
Selected Recent Publications
H.A. Fertig and J.P. Straley, ``Deconfinement and Dissipation in the
Quantum
Hall ``Josephson'' Effect'', Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 046806 (2003).
H.A. Fertig and J.P. Straley, ``Probing Vortex Unbinding via Dipole
Fluctuations,''
Phys. Rev. B (Rapid Communications) 66, 201402(R) (2002).
A.W.C. Lau, P. Pincus, D. Levine, and H.A. Fertig,
"Electrostatic Attraction of Coupled Wigner Crystals:
Finite Temperature Effects," Phys. Rev. E 63,
051604 (2001).
Salin Cheng, D.J. Priour, Jr., and H.A. Fertig, "London Equation
Studies of Thin-Film Superconductors with a Triangular
Antidot Lattice," Phys. Rev. B. 65, 024503 (2002).
H.A. Fertig, "Deconfinement in the Two Dimensional XY Model,"
Phys. Rev. Lett. 89, 035703 (2002).
Hangmo Yi, H. A. Fertig, and R. Cote,
"Stability of the Smectic Quantum Hall State: A
Quantitative Study," Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 4156 (2000).
H.A. Fertig,
"Unlocking Transition for Modulated Surfaces and Quantum Hall Stripes",
Phys. Rev. Lett. 82, 3693 (1999).
M.C. Cha and H.A. Fertig,
"Peak Effect and the Transition from Elastic to Plastic Depinning",
Phys. Rev. Lett. 80, 3851 (1998).
H.A. Fertig,
"Properties of the Electron Solid",
in "Perspectives in Quantum Hall Effects",
eds. S. Das Sarma and A. Pinczuk, (Wiley, New York, 1997).
L. Brey, H.A. Fertig, R. Cote, and A.H. MacDonald,
"Skyrme Crystal in a Two-Dimensional Electron Gas",
Phys. Rev. Lett. 75, 252 (1995).
M.C. Cha and H.A. Fertig,
"Disorder-Induced Phase Transitions in Two-Dimensional Crystals",
Phys. Rev. Lett. 74, 4867 (1995).
