Condensed Matter and Materials Research Committee

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Quantum networks are at the center of recent advances in quantum information, communication, and computation. These networks can be used to simulate complex materials and study the emergence of order in many-body systems. To explore new capabilities on the frontiers of engineered coherent matter that these systems might provide, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Condensed Matter and Materials Research Committee held a hybrid in-person and online workshop in Washington, DC on October 3, 2024. The workshop reviewed the rapidly emerging implementations of these systems and their relation to fundamental problems and applications in condensed matter physics, materials science, and quantum information. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussion of the workshop.

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110 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-73474-6
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-73475-4
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29052

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National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Frontiers of Engineered Coherent Matter and Systems: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

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One of the major challenges in materials science today is developing materials that can survive and function in extreme environments, such as the high-radiation environments found in a fission or fusion reactor or the ultra-high temperature experienced by a hypervelocity vessel or a spacecraft traveling through Earths atmosphere on its return to the planets surface. What is needed to discover such materials was the topic of a 2-day workshop held at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on October 5-6, 2022. That workshop, titled Materials in Extreme Environments: New Monitoring Tools and Data-Driven Approaches, brought together an international collection of experts on the testing and measurement of materials in extreme environments and on discovering and developing new materials. This Proceedings of a Workshop recaps the presentations and discussions that took place during the 2 days of the workshop.

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76 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-70226-7
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-70227-5
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/26983

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National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2023. Frontiers in Data Analytics and Monitoring Tools for Extreme Materials: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

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On May 18-19, 2021, the Condensed Matter and Materials Research Committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a public workshop to examine the frontiers of research on moiré quantum matter. Participants at the workshop discussed the challenges and possibilities that this new material presents. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussion of the workshop.

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126 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-08440-7
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-68943-0
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/26594

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National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Frontiers in Synthetic Moiré Quantum Matter: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

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Current von Neumann style computing is energy inefficient and bandwidth limited as information is physically shuttled via electrons between processor, short term non-volatile memory, and long-term storage. Biologically inspired neuromorphic computing, with its inherent autonomous learning capabilities and much lower power requirements based on analog processing, is seen as an avenue for overcoming these limitations. The development of nanoelectronic "memory resistors", or memristors, is essential to neuromorphic architectures as they allow logic-based elements for information processing to be combined directly with nonvolatile memory for efficient emulation of neurons and synapses found in the brain. Memristors are typically composed of a switchable material with nonlinear hysteretic behavior sandwiched between two conducting encoding elements. The design, dynamic control, scaling and fundamental understanding of these materials is essential for establishing memristive devices.

To explore the state-of-the-art in the materials fundamentally underlying memristor technologies: their science, their mechanisms and their functional imperatives to realize neuromorphic computing machines, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's Board on Physics and Astronomy convened a workshop on February 28, 2020. This publication summarizes the presentation and discussion of the workshop.

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102 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-68319-X
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-68320-3
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/25938

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National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2021. Frontiers in Memristive Materials for Neuromorphic Processing Applications: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

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Thermal transport and energy conversion has remained an active field for at least 200 years, with numerous opportunities for discoveries and new applications. Recently, experiments have advanced researchers' understanding of basic physics, and how new discoveries might translate into applications in energy, materials, quantum technologies, and other areas.

The National Academies convened a workshop on April 11, 2019 to identify and assess the frontier of current research in the field of thermal transport and energy conversion. Discussions involved topics related to thermal transport and quasi-particle hydrodynamics, thermal transport beyond the quasiparticle paradigm, the thermal hall effect from neutral spin excitations in frustrated quantum magnets, quantization of the thermal hall conductivity at small hall angles, and thermal spin transport, including spin-seebeck and magnon drag effects. These topics were strategically selected with the goal of uncovering key challenges, opportunities, and issues in order to guide future efforts and investments to advance the field. This publication offers a condensed summary of the discussions and presentations from the workshop, which was unclassified and open to the public.

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58 pages · 7 x 10 ·
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-49671-3
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/25549

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National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Frontiers in Thermal Transport and Energy Conversion: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

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Modern materials science builds on knowledge from physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, computer and data science, and engineering sciences to enable us to understand, control, and expand the material world. Although it is anchored in inquiry-based fundamental science, materials research is strongly focused on discovering and producing reliable and economically viable materials, from super alloys to polymer composites, that are used in a vast array of products essential to today's societies and economies.

Frontiers of Materials Research: A Decadal Survey is aimed at documenting the status and promising future directions of materials research in the United States in the context of similar efforts worldwide. This third decadal survey in materials research reviews the progress and achievements in materials research and changes in the materials research landscape over the last decade; research opportunities for investment for the period 2020-2030; impacts that materials research has had and is expected to have on emerging technologies, national needs, and science; and challenges the enterprise may face over the next decade.

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Public Briefing Slides

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294 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-48387-5
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-48388-3
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/25244

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National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. Frontiers of Materials Research: A Decadal Survey. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

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The field of condensed matter and materials research has played a key role in meeting our nation's needs in a number of areas, including energy, health, and climate change. Harvesting the Fruits of Inquiry highlights a few of the societal benefits that have flowed from research in this field. This report communicates the role that condensed matter and materials research plays in addressing societal needs. The report uses examples to illustrate how research in this area has contributed directly to efforts to address the nation's needs in providing sustainable energy, meeting health needs, and addressing climate change issues. Written in an accessible style, this report will be of interest to academia, government agencies, and Congress.

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The Materials Game

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32 pages · 8.25 x 10 ·
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-30222-6
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/18734

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National Research Council. 2014. Harvesting the Fruits of Inquiry: How Materials Discoveries Improve Our Lives. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

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The Committee to Assess the Current Status and Future Direction of High Magnetic Field Science in the United States was convened by the National Research Council in response to a request by the National Science Foundation. This report answers three questions: (1) What is the current state of high-field magnet science, engineering, and technology in the United States, and are there any conspicuous needs to be addressed? (2) What are the current science drivers and which scientific opportunities and challenges can be anticipated over the next ten years? (3) What are the principal existing and planned high magnetic field facilities outside of the United States, what roles have U.S. high field magnet development efforts played in developing those facilities, and what potentials exist for further international collaboration in this area?

A magnetic field is produced by an electrical current in a metal coil. This current exerts an expansive force on the coil, and a magnetic field is "high" if it challenges the strength and current-carrying capacity of the materials that create the field. Although lower magnetic fields can be achieved using commercially available magnets, research in the highest achievable fields has been, and will continue to be, most often performed in large research centers that possess the materials and systems know-how for forefront research. Only a few high field centers exist around the world; in the United States, the principal center is the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHMFL).

High Magnetic Field Science and Its Application in the United States considers continued support for a centralized high-field facility such as NHFML to be the highest priority. This report contains a recommendation for the funding and siting of several new high field nuclear magnetic resonance magnets at user facilities in different regions of the United States. Continued advancement in high-magnetic field science requires substantial investments in magnets with enhanced capabilities. High Magnetic Field Science and Its Application in the United States contains recommendations for the further development of all-superconducting, hybrid, and higher field pulsed magnets that meet ambitious but achievable goals.

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232 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-28634-4
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-28635-2
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/18355

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National Research Council. 2013. High Magnetic Field Science and Its Application in the United States: Current Status and Future Directions. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

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Traditionally, the natural sciences have been divided into two branches: the biological sciences and the physical sciences. Today, an increasing number of scientists are addressing problems lying at the intersection of the two. These problems are most often biological in nature, but examining them through the lens of the physical sciences can yield exciting results and opportunities. For example, one area producing effective cross-discipline research opportunities centers on the dynamics of systems. Equilibrium, multistability, and stochastic behavior—concepts familiar to physicists and chemists—are now being used to tackle issues associated with living systems such as adaptation, feedback, and emergent behavior.

Research at the Intersection of the Physical and Life Sciences discusses how some of the most important scientific and societal challenges can be addressed, at least in part, by collaborative research that lies at the intersection of traditional disciplines, including biology, chemistry, and physics. This book describes how some of the mysteries of the biological world are being addressed using tools and techniques developed in the physical sciences, and identifies five areas of potentially transformative research. Work in these areas would have significant impact in both research and society at large by expanding our understanding of the physical world and by revealing new opportunities for advancing public health, technology, and stewardship of the environment.

This book recommends several ways to accelerate such cross-discipline research. Many of these recommendations are directed toward those administering the faculties and resources of our great research institutions—and the stewards of our research funders, making this book an excellent resource for academic and research institutions, scientists, universities, and federal and private funding agencies.

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122 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-14751-4
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-14752-2
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/12809

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National Research Council. 2010. Research at the Intersection of the Physical and Life Sciences. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

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For much of the past 60 years, the U.S. research community dominated the discovery of new crystalline materials and the growth of large single crystals, placing the country at the forefront of fundamental advances in condensed-matter sciences and fueling the development of many of the new technologies at the core of U.S. economic growth. The opportunities offered by future developments in this field remain as promising as the achievements of the past. However, the past 20 years have seen a substantial deterioration in the United States' capability to pursue those opportunities at a time when several European and Asian countries have significantly increased investments in developing their own capacities in these areas. This book seeks both to set out the challenges and opportunities facing those who discover new crystalline materials and grow large crystals and to chart a way for the United States to reinvigorate its efforts and thereby return to a position of leadership in this field.

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192 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-13800-0
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-13801-9
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/12640

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National Research Council. 2009. Frontiers in Crystalline Matter: From Discovery to Technology. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

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The development of transistors, the integrated circuit, liquid-crystal displays, and even DVD players can be traced back to fundamental research pioneered in the field of condensed-matter and materials physics (CMPP). The United States has been a leader in the field, but that status is now in jeopardy. Condensed-Matter and Materials Physics, part of the Physics 2010 decadal survey project, assesses the present state of the field in the United States, examines possible directions for the 21st century, offers a set of scientific challenges for American researchers to tackle, and makes recommendations for effective spending of federal funds. This book maintains that the field of CMPP is certain to be principle to both scientific and economic advances over the next decade and the lack of an achievable plan would leave the United States behind. This book's discussion of the intellectual and technological challenges of the coming decade centers around six grand challenges concerning energy demand, the physics of life, information technology, nanotechnology, complex phenomena, and behavior far from equilibrium. Policy makers, university administrators, industry research and development executives dependent upon developments in CMPP, and scientists working in the field will find this book of interest.

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284 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-10969-8
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-10970-1
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/11967

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National Research Council. 2007. Condensed-Matter and Materials Physics: The Science of the World Around Us. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

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The Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSEC) Impact Assessment Committee was convened by the National Research Council in response to an informal request from the National Science Foundation. Charged to examine the impact of the MRSEC program and to provide guidance for the future, the committee included experts from across materials research as well as several from outside the field. The committee developed a general methodology to examine the MRSEC centers and after extensive research and analysis, came to the following conclusions. MRSEC center awards continue to be in great demand. The intense competition within the community for them indicates a strong perceived value. Using more quantitative measures, the committee examined the performance and impact of MRSEC activities over the past decade in the areas of research, facilities, education and outreach, and industrial collaboration and technology transfer. The MRSEC program has had important impacts of the same high standard of quality as those of other multi-investigator or individual-investigator programs. Although the committee was largely unable to attribute observed impacts uniquely to the MRSEC program, MRSECs generally mobilize efforts that would not have occurred otherwise. Because of an observed decline in the effectiveness of the centers, the committee recommended a restructuring the MRSEC program to allow more efficient use and leveraging of resources. The new program should fully invest in centers of excellence as well as in stand-alone teams of researchers to allow tighter focus on key strengths of the program. In its report, the committee outlines one potential vision for how this might be accomplished in a revenue-neutral fashion.

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226 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-10961-2
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-10962-0
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/11966

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National Research Council. 2007. The National Science Foundation's Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers Program: Looking Back, Moving Forward. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

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Interim

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As part of the 2010 physics decadal survey project, DOE and NSF requested the NRC to assess opportunities, over roughly the next decade, in condensed matter and materials physics (CMMP). The study is to review recent accomplishments and new opportunities; identify potential future impact of CMMP; consider its contributions to national needs; assessing priorities for tools and facilities; analyze current research and funding; and make recommendations for realizing the full benefit of CMMP. This interim report provides a summary of the early assessment of eight important challenges facing CMMP research in the coming decade and a brief review of the international situation. The final report will present a detailed discussion of these challenges including recommendations for addressing them.

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15 pages · 8.5 x 11 ·
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-66540-X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/11730

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National Research Council. 2006. Condensed-Matter and Materials Physics: The Science of the World Around Us: An Interim Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

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Most of the instruments now used for materials research are too complex and expensive for individual investigators to own, operate, and maintain them. Consequently, they have become increasingly consolidated into multi-user, small to midsized research facilities, located at many sites around the country. The proliferation of these facilities, however, has drawn calls for a careful assessment of best principles for their operation. With support from the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation, the NRC carried out a study to characterize and discuss ways to optimize investments in materials research facility infrastructure with attention to midsize facilities. This report provides an assessment of the nature and importance of mid-sized facilities, their capabilities, challenges they face, current investment, and optimizing their effectiveness.

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250 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-09702-9
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-55199-4
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/11336

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National Research Council. 2006. Midsize Facilities: The Infrastructure for Materials Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

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High-field magnets—those that operate at the limits of the mechanical and/or electromagnetic properties of their structural materials—are used as research tools in a variety of scientific disciplines. The study of high magnetic fields themselves is also important in many areas such as astrophysics. Because of their importance in scientific research and the possibility of new breakthroughs, the National Science Foundation asked the National Research Council to assess the current state of and future prospects for high-field science and technology in the United States. This report presents the results of that assessment. It focuses on scientific and technological challenges and opportunities, and not on specific program activities. The report provides findings and recommendations about important research directions, the relative strength of U.S. efforts compared to other countries, and ways in which the program can operate more effectively.

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188 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-09582-4
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-54847-0
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/11211

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National Research Council. 2005. Opportunities in High Magnetic Field Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

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Letter

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In recent years the field of high magnetic field science has become increasingly important to other disciplines, including biology. In 2002, the National Science Foundation concluded that there was a need for an assessment of the field in the United States to set the stage for future planning. Accordingly, it requested that the NRC assess the current state and future prospects for high-magnetic-field science and instrumentation in the United States. This letter report provides a status report of that study. The letter report offers a brief assessment of the current position of the United States in this field and lists a series of questions that will be addressed in the final report.

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6 pages · 8.5 x 11 ·
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-55018-1
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/10923

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National Research Council. 2004. Opportunities in High Magnetic Field Science: Letter Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

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Press Release

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56 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-08907-7
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-52596-9
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/10721

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National Research Council. 2003. Materials and Society: From Research to Manufacturing: Report of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

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The 1999 Solid State Sciences Committee Forum, entitled "Materials in a New Era," was held at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C., on February 16-17, 1999. The forum was designed to launch the report entitled Condensed-Matter and Materials Physics: Basic Research for Tomorrow 's Technology. That report, part of the decadal survey series, Physics in a New Era, reviews some of the outstanding accomplishments in materials research over the last decade. It indicates some emerging areas and conveys the true excitement in the field from a perspective of basic science and potential societal impact.

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Press Release

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64 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-06799-5
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-51584-X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/9737

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National Research Council. 1999. Materials in a New Era: Proceedings of the 1999 Solid State Sciences Committee Forum. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

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This book identifies opportunities, priorities, and challenges for the field of condensed-matter and materials physics. It highlights exciting recent scientific and technological developments and their societal impact and identifies outstanding questions for future research. Topics range from the science of modern technology to new materials and structures, novel quantum phenomena, nonequilibrium physics, soft condensed matter, and new experimental and computational tools.

The book also addresses structural challenges for the field, including nurturing its intellectual vitality, maintaining a healthy mixture of large and small research facilities, improving the field's integration with other disciplines, and developing new ways for scientists in academia, government laboratories, and industry to work together. It will be of interest to scientists, educators, students, and policymakers.

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Press Release

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324 pages · 6 x 9 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-06349-3
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-52124-6
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/6407

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National Research Council. 1999. Condensed-Matter and Materials Physics: Basic Research for Tomorrow's Technology. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

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Condensed Matter and Materials Research Committee

Frontiers of Engineered Coherent Matter and Systems: Proceedings of a Workshop

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