Major Seminar Series: Neural Science

Majors

All about Neural Science. They are all here.

Fall 2017

Spring 2018

For more detail visit:https://events.shanghai.nyu.edu/#!view/event/event_id/4400

 

Major Seminar Series: Expore the Path of Sharing-Dec 4

Details

Talk Abstract: 

Transportation, being one of the most historical filed both in academy and industry, has developed dramatically along with human civilizing advancement. In recent years, accompanying with the remarkable technical innovations in mobile internet and artificial intelligence, this traditional area is again, embracing unprecedented opportunity and transforming into the new era. Intelligent transportation system becomes critical as it not only expresses people’s expectation for future smart city but also bears hope to resolve the growing paradox between development and sustainability.

Instead of privately owning the vehicle, which might actually park stilly for approximately 85% of time, people are shifting to the creative mobility-on-demand service originating in ride-sharing. As the largest ride-sharing platform in the world, DiDi Chuxing provides various service types to meet customers’ personalized mobility demands. Currently, the platform completed 25 millions of rides daily. Behind the original intention to make each journey better, it is millions of calculation in each single second that supports realizing smart decisions and achieving service improvements. The collaborating power of computer science, operational research and transportation is together to create the path for sharing and bring the future to now.

Speaker’s bio:

Lan Liu, graduated from Cornell in 2017 with major in transportation and operational research. Passionate in urban mobility research, Lan’s study focuses on stochastic network optimization, discrete choice models in multi-modal transportation and algorithmic game theory. The integration of mathematics and big data technology reveals a world of curiosity and elegance as well as encourages her to continuously explore. Currently, Lan is an Algorithm Engineer at DiDi Chuxing’s carpool team.

Science Seminar-Dec 6

Science Seminars

Gravitational waves as probes of new physics at the onset of multi messenger astronomy

Speaker: Dr. Antonino Marciano, Department of Physics, Fudan University

 

Abstract

Direct detection of gravitational waves was finally attained only two years ago, 100 years after Einstein formulated his theory of General Relativity. This latter constitutes the current theoretical framework of the Standard Cosmological Model, within which major advances in our understanding of the Universe were achieved over the last century, including the explanation of the structures’ formation (galaxies, cluster of galaxies etc…), of the features of the spectra of cosmic background radiation (light emitted 380,000 years after the Big Bang), and so on and so forth. Nonetheless, the same framework also inspired, through the prediction of Black Hole solutions, over half a century of theoretical disputes on the information loss paradox and on the possible violations of unitarity, which is one the pillars of quantum mechanics. The clash between the Newtonian theory of gravity
(and hence General Relativity) and data acquired through the years on the galaxies rotation curves and the visible amount of stars, required the introduction of the concept of Dark Matter, while the current accelerated phase of expansion of the Universe suggested the existence of Dark Energy, constituting over 70% of the energy density of the Universe. Within this vast and puzzling scenario, gravitational waves represent an amazing possibility to unveil new physics, and may contribute in a relevant way to solve at least some of these shortcomings.

The speaker will first review the steps toward this discovery, and comment on the relevance of the birth of multi-messenger astronomy for the understanding of fundamental physics. Then he will introduce gravitational waves in comparison with electromagnetic waves, showing similarities and differences between the two forms of radiation. Finally, he will show how gravitational waves can be relevant to distinguish models of early cosmology, and may shed light on new physical interactions, explaining dark matter and eventually dark energy.

Major Seminar Series: Understanding and Predicting Multiferroics-Nov 27

Details

TOPIC:
Understanding and Predicting Multiferroics

SPEAKER:
Hongjun Xiang,
Key Laboratory of Computational Physical Sciences (Ministry of Education), State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, and Department of Physics, Fudan University

TIME:
2:00-3:00pm, Monday, November 27, 2017

VENUE:
Room 202, Pudong Campus, NYU Shanghai
Broadcasting Room 375, Geography Building, Zhongbei Campus, ECNU

HOST:
Hanghui Chen, NYU Shanghai

ABSTRACT OF THE TALK
Materials with a coexistence of magnetic and ferroelectric order — multiferroics — provide an efficient route for the control of magnetism by electric fields. In recent years, we proposed a unified model [1,2] which includes purely electronic and ion-displacement contribution simultaneously to describe spin-order induced ferroelectricity. On the basis of the unified model and density functional calculations, we explained the ferroelectricity induced by the proper-screw spin spiral [1], discovered a novel magnetoelectric coupling mechanism in which the magnitude of the polarization is governed by the exchange striction with the direction by the spin chirality [3], proposed that the ferroelectricity in the chiral-lattice magnet Cu2OSeO3 is due to the unusual single-spin site term [4].
Currently, the available single-phase multiferroics are not suitable for realistic applications. We predicted that hexaferrite BaFe12O19 may be the first example of multiferroic materials that displays antiferroelectricity [5]. The antiferroelectricity in this system is “geometrically frustrated” by the underlying hexagonal structure. Moreover, we predict that double perovskite Zn2FeOsO6 is a new multiferroic with properties superior to BiFeO3. First, there are strong ferroelectricity and strong ferrimagnetism at room temperature in Zn2FeOsO6. Second, the easy-plane of the spontaneous magnetization can be switched by an external electric field, evidencing the strong magnetoelectric coupling existing in this system [6]. Finally, we predict that two dimensional P2O3 is a thinnest hyperferroelectric [7].
References: [1] H. J. Xiang, E. J. Kan, Y. Zhang, M.-H. Whangbo, and X. G. Gong, Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 157202 (2011).
[2] H. J. Xiang, P. S. Wang, M.-H. Whangbo, and X. G. Gong, Phys. Rev. B 88, 054404 (2013).
[3] X. Z. Lu, M.-H. Whangbo, Shuai Dong, X. G. Gong, and H. J. Xiang, Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 187204 (2012).
[4] J. H. Yang, Z. L. Li, X. Z. Lu, M.-H. Whangbo, Su-Huai Wei, X. G. Gong, and H. J. Xiang, Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, 107203 (2012).
[5] P. S. Wang and H. J. Xiang, Phys. Rev. X 4, 011035 (2014).
[6] P. S. Wang, W. Ren, L. Bellaiche, and H. J. Xiang, Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 147204 (2015).
[7] W. Luo and H. J. Xiang, Angew. Chem. 55, 8575 (2016).

BIOGRAPHY OF THE SPEAKER
Hongjun Xiang received his Bachelor degree and Ph.D. in chemical physics from the University of Science and Technology of China in 2001 and 2006, respectively. He worked on magnetic systems at North Carolina State University from September 2006 to August 2007. After that, he moved to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory where he performed research on energy related materials for about two years. Since October 2009, Hongjun Xiang has been a Professor of Physics at Fudan University. He is now supported by the National Youth Talent Support Program (Qing Nian Ba Jian). His current research focus is on theoretical studies of ferroelectrics, magnets, multiferroics, and two-dimensional materials.