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Recent advances have uncovered many surprises in the theory of crystals. Once thought to be boringly inert, the insulator is now known to subdivide into different phases of matter, analogous to that of solids, liquids and gases. Different phases have strikingly different properties. A case in point: certain one-dimensional electronic states only propagate uni-directionally around the perimeter of a two-dimensional insulator, much like New-York joggers going only counter-clockwise around Central Park's lake.

Our understanding of the superconductor has also changed dramatically.  We now know that the electron in certain superconductors can divide into two halves, which can be separated arbitrarily far away. This divided-electron system can store memory in a manner that is very robust to environmental disturbances. Applications will be discussed in the context of quantum computation and teleportation.

This course serves as an introduction to the rapidly growing field of topological insulators and superconductors. Many experts in this field are home-grown on Princeton soil, and this course provides a unique opportunity for students to interact with them. There are ample opportunities for research in both theory and experiments.

I was surprised to encounter that lake. Chirality is a beautiful concept, almost surprising in its definition, because a symmetry has to be broken.