Paul Fleury

Professor Fleury’s research interest has been in the microscopic origin of physical phenomena in condensed matter systems with emphasis on collective behaviors underlying magnetic, optical, electronic, acoustic, and structural properties of materials. These properties include the linear and nonlinear responses of materials to external drivers such as stress, electric, magnetic, and optical fields.

We have done considerable research on the dynamical aspects of phase transformations which result in long range order (ferroelectricity, magnetism, superconductivity, etc.). Our principal approach has been experimental–using laser spectroscopy and nonlinear optics to probe materials ranging in complexity from molecular hydrogen, through liquids, metals, dielectrics, and semiconductors to the multi-component cuprate superconductors and related materials. Much of this research has required advancing the state of the experimental art in optical spectroscopy–particularly in the directions of transient response, and high contrast, high resolution, and multichannel detection.