Quantum materials feature electronic correlations and/or spin–orbit interactions and a delicate interplay between spin, charge, orbit, and lattice degrees of freedom. These materials are constantly surprising us with novel phenomena and challenging existing theoretical models. The surprising insulating behavior in binary 3D-transition metal oxides reported in 1937 led to the realization of the importance of electronic correlations first proposed by Peierls and Mott; the high-temperature superconductivity in ternary 3d-transition metal oxides discovered in 1986 by Bednorz and Muller violates the Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer theory that otherwise perfectly describes conventional superconductivity. Establishing an adequate mechanism driving the superconductivity has remained a profound intellectual challenge to this day. In 1994, the discovery of an exotic superconducting state in Sr2RuO4 by Maeno et al. drew interest toward 4d-electron-based ruthenates. In the early 2000s, the realization that a novel variant of the Mott state was at play in Sr2IrO4 has provided an impetus for a burgeoning group of studies of the influence of strong spin–orbit interactions in correlated 4D- and 5D-transition metal oxides. A growing number of theoretical proposals focusing on effects of spin–orbit interactions, such as quantum spin Hall effect in graphene in 2005 by Kane and Mele and its experimental confirmation in HgTe in 2007 by Konig et al., have led to the explosion of interest in high-Z materials (Z being atomic number) with band inversion, such as topological insulators, and the other novel topological materials that followed.

It is clear that the advancement of condensed matter physics has been largely dependent on the arduous path toward understanding these materials. Condensed matter and materials physicists, confronted with an ever-increasing pace and competition in research, are beginning to re-examine the existing materials and aggressively explore new ones for discovery of emergent quantum phenomena and tackling intellectual challenges. This Special Issue on new quantum materials provides a timely forum for expedited communications focused on most recent developments in the ever-expanding frontiers of quantum materials.

Prof. Gang Cao
Guest Editor

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• Mott insulators
• superconductors
• correlated and spin–orbit-coupled materials
• topological insulators
• Weyl semimetals
• Dirac electron materials
• van der Waals materials