✦ ✦ ✦

Prof. Theodore Blackwood

Department of Physics · Princeton University

— Est. 2008 —
I.

About the Author

Portrait

Fig. 1 — The Author, c. 2024

For nearly two decades, I have dedicated my scholarly pursuits to understanding the quantum mechanical behavior of electrons in crystalline solids. My investigations center upon the remarkable phenomena that emerge when vast numbers of particles interact—superconductivity, magnetism, and exotic topological states.

I employ synchrotron-based spectroscopic techniques, particularly resonant inelastic X-ray scattering, to probe these systems with unprecedented precision. My laboratory maintains active collaborations with facilities across Europe, Asia, and North America.

Prior to my appointment at Princeton, I completed doctoral studies at the University of Cambridge and held research positions at Bell Laboratories and the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research.

II.

Research Interests

❧ High-Temperature Superconductivity

Investigation of the pairing mechanism in cuprate and nickelate superconductors through momentum-resolved spectroscopy. Current focus: charge density wave competition with superconducting order.

❧ Quantum Magnetism

Study of collective magnetic excitations in frustrated quantum magnets. Searching for experimental signatures of quantum spin liquid ground states and fractionalized quasiparticles.

❧ Topological Matter

Characterization of protected surface states in topological insulators and semimetals. Mapping band structure anomalies using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy.

❧ Spectroscopic Methods

Development of advanced resonant X-ray scattering techniques with improved energy resolution. Instrumental contributions to beamline design at synchrotron facilities.

III.

Selected Publications

A selection of recent contributions to the scholarly literature. For a complete listing, the reader is directed to Google Scholar.

  1. 1.
    "Charge density wave order in infinite-layer nickelate superconductors"

    T. Blackwood, J. Morrison, S. Tanaka et al.

    Nature Physics 20, 1234–1240 (2024)

  2. 2.
    "Magnon bound states in the quantum spin liquid candidate α-RuCl₃"

    T. Blackwood, L. Chen, M. Schmidt

    Science 383, 890–895 (2024)

  3. 3.
    "Momentum-resolved superconducting gap in overdoped Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O₈₊δ"

    T. Blackwood, K. Park, R. Davis

    Physical Review X 13, 041028 (2023)

  4. 4.
    "Observation of Weyl fermions in the type-II semimetal WTe₂"

    T. Blackwood, H. Wang, A. Wilson et al.

    Nature Communications 14, 2891 (2023)

[ View Complete Bibliography ]

IV.

Teaching & Instruction

Autumn Term
PHY 505: Quantum Mechanics II

Graduate course treating advanced topics: perturbation theory, scattering, relativistic wave equations, and second quantization.

Spring Term
PHY 408: Solid State Physics

Upper-division undergraduate course covering crystal structure, electronic band theory, and collective phenomena in solids.

Reading Period
PHY 598: X-ray Scattering Seminar

Advanced seminar on synchrotron techniques. Students gain hands-on experience at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source.

V.

Correspondence

Postal Address

Prof. Theodore Blackwood
Department of Physics
Jadwin Hall, Room 276
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ 08544

Electronic

E-mail: tblackwood@princeton.edu

Telephone: +1 (609) 258-4400

Facsimile: +1 (609) 258-1124