The Peter Woelfle Lab

Woelfle Lab studies theoretical condensed matter physics, with a focus on strongly correlated electron systems, magnetism, and unconventional superconductivity. The group investigates how interactions between electrons can produce unusual collective behavior in materials such as cuprates, Kondo insulators, IrMn-based systems, and Hubbard-model systems. Their work asks how charge order, spin order, topology, and quantum criticality shape phase diagrams and transport properties, including thermopower, conductance, and superconducting tendencies. Much of the research is done with analytical theory and model calculations, especially methods such as slave-boson approaches, Fermi-liquid theory, and studies of low-dimensional quantum systems. Students in the lab can expect rigorous theoretical work that connects microscopic models to experimentally relevant phenomena in modern quantum materials. This lab is a strong fit for students who enjoy mathematical physics, many-body theory, and understanding how emergent behavior arises from simple interacting particles.