Professor Emeritus Manfred Sigrist Visits Shenzhen International Quantum Academy for Research Discussions

Professor Emeritus Manfred Sigrist is a theoretical condensed-matter physicist at ETH Zurich. His research focuses on unconventional superconductivity, strongly correlated electronic systems, and the topological properties of quantum materials. Professor Sigrist joined ETH Zurich as a full professor in 2001 and became professor emeritus in early 2026 after more than two decades at its Institute for Theoretical Physics.

From April 27 to May 3, 2026, at the invitation of Dr. Ben-Chuan LIN, Professor Sigrist visited the Shenzhen International Quantum Academy and LinLab for private research discussions. The visit brought Professor Sigrist together with Dr. Lin and faculty members working in related areas for extended discussions on kagome quantum materials.

A focused conversation on kagome quantum matter

Kagome materials provided the central thread of the meeting. Professor Sigrist, Dr. Lin, and the participating scholars exchanged views on how lattice geometry, electronic correlations, and symmetry can combine to produce charge order, magnetism, and unconventional superconductivity. They also discussed the close competition among these states and the challenge of identifying which microscopic interactions are most important in a given material.

The conversation ranged from pairing symmetry and possible time-reversal symmetry breaking to nematicity, pair-density-wave order, and topological superconductivity. Particular attention was given to the experimental signatures that can distinguish these possibilities, and to how transport, thermodynamic, and spectroscopic measurements can be compared with theoretical models.

Bringing theory and experiment together

Dr. Lin shared questions arising from LinLab’s experimental studies of kagome superconductors, while Professor Sigrist offered a theoretical perspective on how competing orders and symmetry constraints can shape the observed phase diagram. Faculty members from related fields joined the exchange, adding insights from different materials and measurement techniques.

Although the visit was not organized as a public seminar, its smaller setting allowed the participants to examine open questions in greater depth and move easily between theory, experiment, and material-specific details. The visit created a valuable opportunity for Professor Sigrist, Dr. Lin, and researchers at the Academy to compare ideas and continue the scientific dialogue around kagome quantum matter.