Wagga2026/AC2MP2026

9 Feb 2026, 09:00 → 13 Feb 2026, 13:00 Australia/Sydney

Convention Centre (Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga NSW Australia)

Kirrily Rule

The 48th Annual Condensed Matter and Materials Meeting (known as Wagga2026) will be co-branding with the AAPPS Division of Condensed Matter Physics conference - the 6th Asia-Pacific Conference on Condensed Matter Physics (known as AC2MP2026)

Less than one month to go until the meeting! Final dates for registration are as follows:

Residential registration closes (accommodation included)	11th January 2026	Link to registration page
Offsite registration closes (no accommodation included)	26th January 2026	Link to registration page
Abstract submission closes (now poster presentations only)	26th January 2026	Link to abstract submission

Download the conference handbook HERE

 

The Australian-New Zealand Annual Condensed Matter and Materials Conference, colloquially known as “Wagga”, has been held almost annually as a residential conference at the Charles Sturt University Conference Centre, Wagga Wagga, NSW, during early February, since 1977.  We are committed to providing a safe, respectful, in-person conference where we can catch up and hear about recent advances in condensed matter research from around Australia and New Zealand.

In 2026 we are welcoming members of the Asia Pacific Condensed Matter Physics community to Australia!  The AIP is a member of the Association of Asia Pacific Physics Societies (AAPPS) supporting physics research and collaboration throughout the Aisa-Pacific region.  Since 2021, the AIP has also had representation on the executive committee of the AAPPS subgroup, the Division of Condensed Matter Physics. 

 

All information on this Indico website is also available at  https://aip.org.au/CMM-Conference 

We have become aware of accommodation and conference scams imitating this event.

Please use your discretion and source all information from this Indico webpage and the conference website above. You may wish to refer to this information on common conference scams.

Acknowledgment of Country

The Wagga2026/AC2MP2026 will take place on the traditional lands of the Wiradyuri peoples. We pay our respects to Elders past and present and celebrate the diversity of First Nations peoples and their ongoing cultures and connections to the lands and waters of Australia. Wagga Wagga is located in the Riverina region of southern New South Wales.   Wagga comes from the Wiradyuri word "waga" which is the Wiradyuri stem word for "dance" and by doubling the word ie Wagga Wagga it becomes "the place of much dancing and celebration".

The elders of the Wiradyruri people have given their approval to continue referring to this conference as the "Wagga conference".

2026WaggaFlyer_v3.pdf

CMC_Wagga-Conference Booklet2026_23Dec2025.pdf

Wagga2026/AC2MP2026

WaggaAC2MP2026_DRAFT_program_2025-12-22.pdf

Monday 9 February

19:30 → 20:15 Microstructural characterisation: Plenary

19:30 Fabrication and characterisation of low-dimensional materials on surfaces

The bottom-up construction of materials on solid surfaces has emerged as a powerful strategy for tailoring nanostructures with unique properties. Our research explores the synthesis and characterization of one dimensional (1D) and two dimensional (2D) materials on atomically well-defined surfaces, which serve as supports, templates, and catalysts for chemical reactions. We employ molecular self-assembly, on-surface reactions of atomic and molecular building blocks, semiconductor heteroepitaxy and the growth or transfer of 2D materials under ultrahigh vacuum conditions to fabricate novel materials systems. Using atom scale measurements with scanning probe microscopy, complemented by density functional theory modelling and photoemission spectroscopy, we aim to uncover the mechanisms that govern structure and properties at the nanoscale. In this talk, I will present our recent advances in fabricating and characterizing low dimensional materials, highlight opportunities enabled by ultrahigh vacuum transfer of 2D materials onto clean, ordered surfaces, and discuss how these systems open new avenues for observing quantum phenomena.

Speaker: Jennifer MacLeod (Queensland University of Technology)

Tuesday 10 February

09:00 → 10:30 Superconductivity: Superconductivity 1

Convener: Dmitry Efimkin (Monash University)

09:00 Evidence of P-wave Pairing in K2Cr3As3 Superconductors from Phase-sensitive Measurement

P-wave superconductors hold immense promise for both fundamental physics and practical applications due to their unusual pairing symmetry and potential topological superconductivity. However, the exploration of the p-wave superconductors has proved to be a complex endeavor. Not only are they rare in nature but also the identification of p-wave superconductors has been an arduous task in history. For example, phase-sensitive measurement, an experimental technique which can provide conclusive evidence for unconventional pairing, has not been implemented successfully to identify p-wave superconductors. Here, we study a recently discovered family of superconductors, A2Cr3As3 (A = K, Rb, Cs), which were proposed theoretically to be p-wave superconductors. We fabricate superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) on exfoliated K2Cr3As3, and perform the phase-sensitive measurement. It reveals the admixture of 0- and π-phase in these SQUIDs, and we conclude that the existence of the π-phase is in favor of the p-wave pairing symmetry in K2Cr3As3.
Ref: arXiv:2408.07342

Speaker: Jie Shen (Institute of physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences)

09:45 Topological Superconductivity in an atomic Sn layer on a semiconductor substrate

A third monolayer of tin atoms on the semiconductor substrate Si(111) has been shown to become superconducting upon six to ten percent hole doping. Experiments have reported promising results hinting at a superconducting chiral d-wave order parameter [1]. Here we examine Sn/Si(111) by combining most recent ab initio results, quasi-particle interference calculations, state-of-the-art truncated-unity functional renormalization group simulations and Bogoliubov-de Gennes analysis. We show remarkable agreement between experimental and theoretical quasi-particle interference data both in the metallic and superconducting regimes. The interacting phase diagram reveals that the superconductivity is indeed chiral d-wave with Chern number C=4. Surprisingly, magnetically ordered phases are absent, instead we find charge density wave order as seen in related compounds. We extend our analysis to the related compounds Pb/Si(111), Sn/SiC(0001) and Pb/SiC(0001), which exhibit different strengths of spin-orbit coupling and different interaction strength. Our results suggest that also these materials are promising candidate materials for chiral topological superconductivity.

[1] F.Ming, et int., H.H. Weitering, Nat. Phys. 19, 500 (2023).

Speaker: Stephan Rachel

10:00 Discovery of Segmented Fermi Surface in a Superconductor

Since the early days of Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer theory, it has been
predicted that a sufficiently large supercurrent can close the energy
gap in a superconductor and create gapless Bogoliubov quasiparticles
through the Doppler shift of quasiparticle energy due to the Cooper
pair momentum[1]. In this gapless superconducting state, zero-energy
quasiparticles reside on a segment of the normal state Fermi surface,
while its remaining part is still gapped. However, the segmented Fermi
surface of a finite-momentum state carrying a supercurrent has never
been detected directly. We use quasiparticle interference (QPI) technique
to image field-controlled Fermi surface of Bi2Te3 thin films proximitized
by the superconductor NbSe2. By applying a small in-plane
magnetic field, a screening supercurrent is induced which leads to
finite-momentum pairing on topological surface states of Bi2Te3[2].
Our measurements and analysis reveal the strong impact of finite
Cooper pair momentum on the quasiparticle spectrum, and thus pave
the way for STM study of pair density wave and FFLO states in unconventional superconductors.

[1] Phys. Rev. 137, A783-A787 (1965)
[2] Science 374, 1381-1385(2021)

Speaker: Prof. Hao Zheng (Shanghai Jiao Tong University)

11:00 → 12:45 Superconductivity: Superconductivity 2

Convener: GiBaik Sim (The University of Melbourne)

11:00 Evolution from charge-order to superconductivity in cuprates

High-temperature superconductivity in cuprates is achieved through doping Mott insulators, but the critical process underlying the emergence of superconductivity remains unclear. Combining high-resolution resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), we have investigated Bi2Sr2(Ca,Dy)Cu2O8+δ near the onset of the superconducting dome. Our results indicate that Cooper pairs grow out of a charge-ordered insulating state and condense accompanied by an enhanced interplay between charge excitations and electron-phonon coupling [1]. While charge orders (CO) are considered a significant competitor of high-temperature superconductivity in underdoped cuprates, overdoped cuprates have traditionally been viewed as conventional Fermi liquids without collective electronic order. Using Cu L3 edge and O K edge RIXS, we have revealed the presence of CO in overdoped La2-xSrxCuO4 beyond the superconducting dome [2]. Our results suggest that CO is prevalent in the overdoped metallic regime, requiring a reassessment of the traditional understanding of overdoped cuprates as weakly correlated Fermi liquids.

References
1. C. Zou et al., Evolution from a charge-ordered insulator to a high-temperature superconductor in Bi2Sr2(Ca,Dy)Cu2O8+δ, Nature Communications 15, 7739 (2024).
2. Q. Li et al., Prevailing charge order in overdoped cuprates beyond the superconducting dome, Physical Review Letters 131, 116002 (2023).

Speaker: yingying peng (Peking University)

11:30 Spin spirals versus spin stripes in underdoped cuprate superconductors: muon spin relaxation data confirms spirals and is inconsistent with stripes

All cuprate superconductors are based on doping of parent Mott insulators which are collinear antiferromagnets. With doping by holes or electrons the insulator becomes a poor conductor, called a "pseudogap metal" or a "Mott metal", that supports unconventional high temperature superconductivity.

It is well established in neutron scattering that with doping by holes the systems develop incommensurate spin ordering. The ordering can be static, quasistatic, or dynamic (nematic state). The ordering period is proportional to doping and generally is incommensurate with the lattice. There is no doubt that the ordering is a fundamental property of the pseudogap state that must be understood.

There are two competing models (visualizations) of the ordering, (i) spin stripes and (ii) spin spirals. Experiments with polarized neutrons were inconclusive to distinguish between these models. The cuprate La$_{2-x}$Ba$_x$CuO$_4$ ($x=\frac{1}{8}$) plays a special role in the story because the elastic neutron scattering in this case is especially strong indicating large static magnetic moment. The static moment is large because the generally incommensurate structure in this compound is commensurate with period 8 lattice spacing and hence pinning to the lattice suppresses spin quantum fluctuations.

The large static magnetic moment allows us to use $\mu$SR to distinguish between the spirals and the stripes. I perform analysis of available $\mu$SR data and show that the data is consistent with spin spirals and inconsistent with spin stripes. I also determine value of the magnetic moments in the spin spiral.

Speaker: Prof. Oleg Sushkov (University of New South Wales)

11:45 Direct writing of Josephson-like nanojunctions on high-Tc superconductors using a thermal scanning probe

We demonstrate a direct-write method for creating weak-link Josephson junctions in high-Tc superconducting thin films using thermal scanning probe lithography (t-SPL). A nanoscale heated tip locally modifies the superconductor with sub-10-nm precision, forming constrictions without resists, ion exposure, or multi-step patterning. The resulting nanobridges exhibit Josephson-like characteristics, including non-dissipative supercurrent transport and magnetic-field interference. This single-step thermal patterning approach offers a clean, resist-free fabrication pathway toward scalable quantum devices.

Speaker: Hanh Duong (CSIRO)

12:15 Phenomena and properties in pressurized high-Tc superconducting oxides

Phenomena and properties in pressurized high-Tc superconducting oxides
Liling Sun1,2

1.Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research, Beijing 100094, China

2.Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China

The exploration of emerging phenomena and physics in high-temperature (Tc) superconducting materials from metal oxides has been a frontier topic in condensed matter physics. Particularly, the development of various experimental techniques has opened new opportunities to unravel key issues in this field. Given the nature of strong electron correlation and diverse degrees of freedom inherent in high-Tc superconducting materials, the application of pressure frequently unveils new insights. In this talk, I will report novel phenomena observed from our high-pressure investigations on high-Tc superconducting oxides. These include the pressure-induced crossover from two-dimensional to three-dimensional superconducting states [1] and quantum phase transitions [2] in bismuth-based cuprate superconductors; the pressure-induced superconducting-insulating phase transition in Ba1-xKxBiO3 bismuthates [3]; and signatures of a Lifshitz transition in pressurized electron-doped cuprate [4].

• These woks were in collaboration with GD Gu, CT Lin, SL Li, Q Wu, XJ Zhou, T Xiang.

References：
[1] J Guo and L Sun et al, Nature Physics 16. 295 (2020).
[2] YZ Zhou and L Sun et al, Nature Physics 18, 406 (2022).
[3] JY Han and L Sun et al, Phys. Rev. B 111, L020509 (2025).
[4] JY Zhao and L Sun et al, arXiv 2025

Speaker: Liling Sun (Center for High Pressure Science & Technology Advanced Research)

14:00 → 16:00 Spectroscopies 1

Convener: Amelia Liu (Monash University)

14:00 Ultrafast light-matter interaction: from transition metal oxides to van der Waals materials

In quantum materials, exotic quantum states can emerge as a result of strong many-body interaction that are of charge, magnetic, orbital and structural origins. The delicate balance among these interacting degrees of freedom engenders not only a ground state, but also many other competing metastable states with distinct macroscopic properties. Despite static tuning methods, the rapidly developing ultrafast science has now made it possible to dynamically control quantum materials at an unprecedented level, that is, the direct manipulation of elementary excitations at their fundamental time and energy scales. Here, we show examples on how ultrafast laser excitation can lead to ‘hidden’ phases in strongly correlated transition metal oxides and Weyl semimetal materials. We also demonstrate, in atomic-thin transition metal dichalcogenides, the strong THz pulse can prompt quantum tunneling transport of excitons on the femtosecond timescale.

Speaker: Jingdi Zhang (Department of Physics, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology)

14:30 Raman signature of cation vacancies in rare-earth nitrides

The rare-earth mononitrides (LnN, Ln a lanthanide) form a mutually epitaxy-compatible series of ferromagnetic semiconductors with promise for mixed superconductor-spintronics.[1] Their varying occupation of 4f states precipitate enormously varied and useful magnetic properties, the topic of intense recent investigation toward those applications.[2,3] Their electrical properties can be controlled independently to their magnetic properties by tuning the deposition conditions to incorporate nitrogen vacancies. The usage of ionized or molecular nitrogen, which catalytically reacts at the surface at ambient temperatures provides capacity for nitrogen-vacancy rich LnN to be formed, and therefore very conductive LnN films to be made. [4,5] Here Raman spectroscopy on the LnN and the identification of Ln vacancies are discussed via the identification of a high-frequency cation-centered symmetric N breathing mode.

This research compares the Raman peak mode frequencies and breathing modes about cation vacancies computed using density functional theory (DFT) for a variety of LnN: LaN, GdN, ErN, and LuN. We find excellent agreement with the measured LnN cation vacancy breathing mode frequencies when using a combined Hubbard U parameter correction approach applied to the 4f and 2p states of Ln and N, respectively. In conclusion, the capacity to incorporate and identify the presence of cation vacancies in a family of compounds otherwise restricted to n-type transport opens the door for p-type material discovery in the rare-earth mononitrides.

References:
[1] Natali, F. et al. (2013), Progress in Materials Science 58, 1316.
[2] Pal, A. et al. (2013), Advanced Materials 25, 5581.
[3] Pot, C. et al. (2023), Applied Physics Letters 123, 202401.
[4] Ullstad, F. et al. (2019), ACS Omega 4, 5950.
[5] Chan J. et al. (2020), Applied Surface Science 632, 157550.

Speaker: Martin Markwitz (Victoria University of Wellington)

14:45 Phase-sensitive Surface Second-harmonic Generation of Topological Dirac Semimetal

Topological semimetals are a new class of quantum materials characterized by symmetry-protected, nontrivial band crossings near the Fermi energy. These systems have attracted wide interest for their ability to host exotic quantum-transport and electromagnetic phenomena. Although bulk topological semimetals have demonstrated enhanced optical nonlinearities with promise for next-generation optoelectronic applications, intrinsic symmetry constraints often limit the scope of their nonlinear response. In contrast, the topological surface states (TSSs) of these materials have been predicted to support unconventional nonlinear optical signatures under relaxed symmetry conditions. However, surface nonlinear optics of topological materials has remained elusive, and whether it can be enhanced through TSSs is still unclear. In this work, we address this challenge by performing heterodyne-detected second harmonic generation (HD-SHG) spectroscopic study on a prototype Dirac semimetal PdTe₂. We find its reflected SHG to follow C_3v surface symmetry with a time-varying intensity governed by oxidation kinetics of the material after its surface cleavage, confirming the surface-derived origin of SHG. The complex anisotropic surface nonlinear optical susceptibility tensor χ⁽²⁾ for the pristine surface is fully characterized by heterodyne interferometry, unveiling a hidden giant response along the axis of rotational invariance (|χ⁽²⁾_zzz|=14±4 nm²/V, corresponding to an effective bulk susceptibility of 14±4 nm/V), where the protected Dirac cones are formed through band inversion. Surface- and orbital-projected band calculations further reveal the correlation of this unusual property to the nontrivial TSSs. Our results highlight the topological interfaces as a promising platform for achieving strong nonlinear optical responses under relaxed symmetry constraints and demonstrate HD-SHG as a powerful in situ probe of surface chemistry in topological systems.

Speaker: Syed Mohammed Faizanuddin (Institute of Physics, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan)

15:00 Nonlinear Absorption in Perovskite Materials

Optical absorption is of paramount importance for any material that is used in photovoltaic, lasing, light emitting diodes, etc., applications. Perovskite materials have several potential nonlinear optical applications. A thorough understanding of two-photon absorption (TPA) in perovskite semiconductors is required for nonlinear optical applications [1-4]. We have derived a TPA coefficient K2 for perovskite semiconductors using second-order perturbation theory and within the parabolic-band approximation, including excitonic effects. The derived K2 has Eg^3/2 dependence and shows that perovskite semiconductors exhibit allowed-forbidden two-photon transitions. We have found that in perovskite materials, the increasing bandgap with temperature contributes to an increase in K2 from 290 K to 50 K [5], which is contrary to the TPA coefficient behaviour in most tetrahedral semiconductors. There is a satisfactory agreement between the theoretical and the experimental TPA coefficients at 290 K and 50 K. Our study highlights the importance of including excitonic and relativistic effects when considering TPA spectra in perovskite semiconductors.

Speaker: Dr David Ompong

15:15 Li-ion Dynamics in Solid Electrolytes: An Integrated Neutron-based techniques and Terahertz Time-Domain Spectroscopy Study

All-solid-state batteries (ASSBs) hold significant commercial promise, driven by their inherent potential to deliver exceptional energy density, power density, and safety. While factors such as rate capability, interfacial stability, and extended cycle life hinder the development of ASSBs, which are critically dependent upon ionic conductivity enhancements within solid-state electrolytes (SSEs). Among SSE families, Li7La3Zr2O12 (LLZO) demonstrates exceptional commercialization potential due to its intrinsic compatibility with lithium metal and outstanding thermal stability under ambient conditions. However, in Li-ion SSEs, the intricate Li+ migration dynamics remain inadequately understood, critically constraining rational materials design.
In this study, Nb mono-doped and Ta/Nb equimolar co-doped LLZO samples (Li6.4La3Nb0.6Zr1.4O12 and Li6.4La3Ta0.3Nb0.3Zr1.4O12, respectively) were fabricated via spark plasma sintering (SPS). Implementing neutron powder diffraction (NPD) at ANSTO, we have obtained Li-ion-centric crystallographic information, which is more reliable than conventional lab-based X-ray powder diffraction. Inelastic neutron scattering (INS) revealed the energy distribution, population, and Q-dependence of Li-centered vibrational modes, as well as the momentum-integrated Li-dominated phonon density of states (DOS) that controls the attempt frequency and many-body phonon-ion coupling, which can only be isolated from the heavy La-O/Zr-O framework with neutron-based probes.
To reveal complementary microscopic mechanisms and to probe Li+ ions’ transient pre-hopping behaviors, we implemented in situ THz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) to drive ultrafast on-site Li+ ions vibrating at their intrinsic oscillation frequencies (∼1012 -1013 s-1). Fourier transforming spatiotemporal resolved spectra, , we yielded frequency spectra, then computed the THz conductivity that is dominated by localized vibrational modes coupled to polar lattice phonons.
Overall, this study serves as a proof of concept for utilizing Neutron-based and THz-TDS to probe ion dynamics in ionic conductors. Also, we have shown the scientific workflow to delve the mechanistic insights with these techniques.

Speaker: Mr Harrison Su (UNSW)

15:30 Ultrafast Magnetisation Dynamics Driven by Terahertz Light Fields via Spin Hall and Rashba–Edelstein Effects

Ultrafast control of magnetisation states in magnetically ordered systems represents a key technological challenge for developing memory devices operating on picosecond timescales. This challenge has stimulated extensive research into ultrafast magnetisation dynamics, spin transport, and magnetoresistance phenomena across a wide range of conventional and emerging magnetic materials. To achieve coherent manipulation with light fields, terahertz (THz) radiation has been proposed as a driver due to its picosecond field oscillations and thus strong ponderomotive potential. We have demonstrated THz-field-driven generation of spin currents via the spin Hall effect and the ultrafast spin Seebeck effect. These mechanisms enabled THz spin–orbit torque-driven high-energy magnon excitation and spintronic frequency multiplication. However, the coupling between light-field-driven spin currents and magnetoresistance effects at optical frequencies remains largely unexplored.
Unidirectional spin Hall magnetoresistance (USMR) provides a simple two-terminal geometry for electrical detection of magnetisation states in magnetic heterostructures. Conventional USMR has been observed under direct current at low frequencies (kHz range), but its operation at light frequencies has not yet been investigated. Using nonlinear THz spectroscopy, we report an ultrafast version of the USMR effect in magnetic heterostructures, manifested through THz second-harmonic generation detected in a far-field configuration. By analysing the in-plane angular dependence between THz polarisation and sample's magnetisation orientation, we disentangle the USMR contribution from thermally driven spintronic frequency multiplication processes. Moreover, at interfaces exhibiting pronounced inversion symmetry breaking, Rashba–Edelstein effects participate in the magnetoresistance dynamics, offering additional tunability toward 2D magnetic heterostructures.
Our results enable non-destructive studies of light-field-driven spin-dependent scattering dynamics in magnetic heterostructures based on heavy metals or Rashba-split systems, providing new insights into ultrafast magnetism and advancing THz spintronics.

Speaker: Sergey Kovalev (TU Dortmund)

16:15 → 18:00 Poster session 1 including poster slam: Poster session 1