Dr Philip Brydon, Our people, Department of Physics

Senior Lecturer

Photo of Dr Philip Brydon.

Location: Room 418
Phone numbers: 7987 (Office)
64 3 479 7987 (Office Direct Dial)
Email: philip.brydon@otago.ac.nz

Biography

I began my studies at the Australian National University in 1999. Upon graduating with my PhD in 2006, I joined the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research in Stuttgart, Germany. In 2008 I moved to the Technical University of Dresden, where I had a very productive and enjoyable five-year appointment. I moved to the University of Maryland in the USA in 2013 for a third postdoc, before accepting a Lecturer position at the University of Otago, where I started in September 2015.

The physics of the solid state offers an amazing variety of quantum phenomena. Amongst the most exotic is superconductivity - the ability of material to conduct electricity without resistance. I am currently interested in the physics of so-called "unconventional" superconductors, which have properties that cannot be explained by the Nobel-prize-winning 1955 theory of Bardeen, Cooper, and Schrieffer. I am particularly interested in the interplay of superconductivity with spin-orbit coupling, which is a ubiquitous feature of solid state systems. In some cases, this coupling is so strong that it can force the electrons to behave as if they are in fact spin-3/2 particles. Together with my collaborators, I have already identified a number of systems where this could lead to highly unusual superconducting states.

Current teaching

PHSI 222 Electromagnetism
PHSI 341 Thermal and Condensed Matter Physics
PHSI 421 Advanced Statistical Mechanics

Course Coordinator

PHSI 341 Thermal and Condensed Matter Physics
PHSI 421 Advanced Statistical Mechanics

Publications

Lee, C., Hackner, N. A., & Brydon, P. M. R. (2026). Incommensuration in odd-parity magnets. Physical Review B, 113(6), 064420. doi: 10.1103/ntsh-ypmc Journal - Research Article

Lee, C., & Brydon, P. M. R. (2025). Inversion-asymmetric itinerant antiferromagnets by the space group symmetry. Physical Review Letters, 135, 116701. doi: 10.1103/85fd-dmy8 Journal - Research Article

Lee, C., Agterberg, D. F., & Brydon, P. M. R. (2025). Unified picture of superconductivity and magnetism in CeRh₂As₂. Physical Review Letters, 135, 026003. doi: 10.1103/dt7w-hh9f Journal - Research Article

Yoon, H., Eo, Y. S., Park, J., Horn, J. A., Dorman, R. G., Saha, S. R., … Brydon, P. M. R., & Paglione, J. (2024). Probing p-wave superconductivity in UTe₂ via point-contact junctions. npj Quantum Materials, 9, 91. doi: 10.1038/s41535-024-00700-z Journal - Research Article

Li, G., & Brydon, P. M. R. (2024). Collective modes in an unconventional superconductor with j= ³/₂ fermions. Physical Review B, 110, 144501. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.110.144501 Journal - Research Article

2026

Journal - Research Article

Lee, C., Hackner, N. A., & Brydon, P. M. R. (2026). Incommensuration in odd-parity magnets. Physical Review B, 113(6), 064420. doi: 10.1103/ntsh-ypmc

2025

Journal - Research Article

Lee, C., & Brydon, P. M. R. (2025). Inversion-asymmetric itinerant antiferromagnets by the space group symmetry. Physical Review Letters, 135, 116701. doi: 10.1103/85fd-dmy8

Lee, C., Agterberg, D. F., & Brydon, P. M. R. (2025). Unified picture of superconductivity and magnetism in CeRh₂As₂. Physical Review Letters, 135, 026003. doi: 10.1103/dt7w-hh9f

2024

Journal - Research Article

Li, G., & Brydon, P. M. R. (2024). Collective modes in an unconventional superconductor with j= ³/₂ fermions. Physical Review B, 110, 144501. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.110.144501

Nally, B. K., & Brydon, P. M. R. (2024). Phase diagram of strongly-coupled Rashba systems. New Journal of Physics, 26, 093015. doi: 10.1088/1367-2630/ad7630

Kim, H., Tanatar, M. A., Kończykowski, M., Grasset, R., Kaluarachchi, U. S., Teknowijoyo, S., … Brydon, P. M. R., … Prozorov, R. (2024). Nodal superconductivity in miassite Rh₁₇S₁₅. Communications Materials, 5, 17. doi: 10.1038/s43246-024-00456-w

2023

Journal - Research Article

Hackner, N. A., & Brydon, P. M. R. (2023). Bardasis-Schrieffer-like phase mode in a superconducting bilayer. Physical Review B, 108, L220505. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.108.L220505

Suh, H. G., Yu, Y., Shishidou, T., Weinert, M., Brydon, P. M. R., & Agterberg, D. F. (2023). Superconductivity of anomalous pseudospin in nonsymmorphic materials. Physical Review Research, 5(3), 033204. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevResearch.5.033204

Zhu, Y., Hackner, N. A., & Brydon, P. M. R. (2023). Bound states around impurities in a superconducting bilayer. Physical Review B, 107, 134514. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.107.134514

Cavanagh, D. C., Agterberg, D. F., & Brydon, P. M. R. (2023). Pair breaking in superconductors with strong spin-orbit coupling. Physical Review B, 107, L060504. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.107.L060504

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Brydon, P., Agterberg, D. F., & Cavanagh, D. C. (2023). Pair-breaking in superconductors with strong spin-orbit coupling. Bulletin of the American Physical Society, TT07.00006. Retrieved from https://meetings.aps.org/Meeting

Zhu, Y., Hackner, N. A., & Brydon, P. (2023). Impurity bound states in spin-orbit-coupled superconductors. Bulletin of the American Physical Society, N27.00012. Retrieved from https://meetings.aps.org/Meeting

Shishidou, T., Suh, H. G., Yu, Y., Brydon, P., Agterberg, D. F., & Weinert, M. (2023). Pseudospin in LaO_1/2F_1/2BiX₂ (X=S,Se). Bulletin of the American Physical Society, K22.00006. Retrieved from https://meetings.aps.org/Meeting

Suh, H. G., Agterberg, D. F., Brydon, P., Shishidou, T., Weinert, M., & Yu, Y. (2023). Pairing of anomalous pseudospin. Bulletin of the American Physical Society, K22.00005. Retrieved from https://meetings.aps.org/Meeting

Nally, B., & Brydon, P. (2023). Strongly-correlated superconductivity with spin-orbit coupling. Bulletin of the American Physical Society, B22.00011. Retrieved from https://meetings.aps.org/Meeting

Hackner, N. A., & Brydon, P. (2023). Collective modes in multiband superconductors. Bulletin of the American Physical Society, A27.00006. Retrieved from https://meetings.aps.org/Meeting

2022

Journal - Research Article

Landaeta, J. F., Khanenko, P., Cavanagh, D. C., Geibel, C., Khim, S., Mishra, S., … Brydon, P. M. R., … Hassinger, E. (2022). Field-angle dependence reveals odd-parity superconductivity in CeRh₂As₂. Physical Review X, 12, 031001. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevX.12.031001

Kobayashi, S., Bhattacharya, A., Timm, C., & Brydon, P. M. R. (2022). Bogoliubov Fermi surfaces from pairing of emergent j=³/₂ fermions on the pyrochlore lattice. Physical Review B, 105, 134507. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.105.134507

Cavanagh, D. C., Shishidou, T., Weinert, M., Brydon, P. M. R., & Agterberg, D. F. (2022). Nonsymmorphic symmetry and field-driven odd-parity pairing in CeRh₂As₂. Physical Review B, 105, L020505. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.105.L020505

2021

Journal - Research Article

Khim, S., Landaeta, J. F., Banda, J., Bannor, N., Brando, M., Brydon, P. M. R., … Hassinger, E. (2021). Field-induced transition within the superconducting state of CeRh₂As₂. Science, 373(6558), 1012-1016. doi: 10.1126/science.abe7518

Cavanagh, D. C., & Brydon, P. M. R. (2021). General theory of robustness against disorder in multiband superconductors. Physical Review B, 104(1), 014503. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.104.014503

Shishidou, T., Suh, H. G., Brydon, P. M. R., Weinert, M., & Agterberg, D. F. (2021). Topological band and superconductivity in UTe₂. Physical Review B, 103(10), 104504. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.103.104504

Denys, M. D. E., & Brydon, P. M. R. (2021). Origin of the anomalous Hall effect in two-band chiral superconductors. Physical Review B, 103, 094503. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.103.094503

Timm, C., Brydon, P. M. R., & Agterberg, D. F. (2021). Distortional weak-coupling instability of Bogoliubov Fermi surfaces. Physical Review B, 103, 024521. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.103.024521

2020

Journal - Research Article

Cavanagh, D. C., & Brydon, P. M. R. (2020). Robustness of unconventional s-wave superconducting states against disorder. Physical Review B, 101(5), 054509. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.101.054509

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Agterberg, D., Brydon, P., Fischer, M. H., Menke, H., Sigrist, M. W., & Timm, C. (2020). Superconductivity without time-reversal or inversion symmetries. Bulletin of the American Physical Society, 65(1), U55.00001. [Abstract]

2019

Journal - Research Article

Menke, H., Timm, C., & Brydon, P. M. R. (2019). Bogoliubov Fermi surfaces stabilized by spin-orbit coupling. Physical Review B, 100(22), 224505. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.100.224505

Brydon, P. M. R., Abergel, D. S. L., Agterberg, D. F., & Yakovenko, V. M. (2019). Loop currents and anomalous hall effect from time-reversal symmetry-breaking superconductivity on the honeycomb lattice. Physical Review X, 9(3), 031025. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevX.9.031025

Working Paper; Discussion Paper; Technical Report

Suh, H. G., Menke, H., Brydon, P. M. R., Timm, C., Ramires, A., & Agterberg, D. F. (2019). Stabilizing even-parity chiral superconductivity in Sr₂RuO₄. arXiv. Retrieved from https://arxiv.org/abs/1912.09525

Cavanagh, D. C., & Brydon, P. M. R. (2019). Robustness of unconventional s-wave superconducting states against disorder. arXiv. Retrieved from https://arxiv.org/pdf/1908.09476.pdf

2018

Journal - Research Article

Robins, A., & Brydon, P. (2018). Time-reversal symmetry-breaking in noncentrosymmetric superconductors. Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, 30, 405602. doi: 10.1088/1361-648X/aade6a

Kim, H., Wang, K., Nakajima, Y., Hu, R., Ziemak, S., Syers, P., … Brydon, P. M. R., … Paglione, J. (2018). Beyond triplet: Unconventional superconductivity in a spin-3/2 topological semimetal. Science Advances, 4(4), eaao4513. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aao4513

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Brydon, P. (2018). The fourth superconducting gap: Intrinsic Bogoliubov Fermi surfaces. Proceedings of the APS March meeting: Bulletin of the American Physical Society. Retrieved from http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/MAR18/Session/X04.2

2017

Journal - Research Article

Agterberg, D. F., Shishidou, T., O'Halloran, J., Brydon, P. M. R., & Weinert, M. (2017). Resilient nodeless d -wave superconductivity in monolayer FeSe. Physical Review Letters, 119(26), 7001. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.267001

Timm, C., Schnyder, A. P., Agterberg, D. F., & Brydon, P. M. R. (2017). Inflated nodes and surface states in superconducting half-Heusler compounds. Physical Review B, 96(9), 094526. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.96.094526

Agterberg, D. F., Brydon, P. M. R., & Timm, C. (2017). Bogoliubov Fermi surfaces in superconductors with broken time-reversal symmetry. Physical Review Letters, 118(12), 127001. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.118.127001

2016

Journal - Research Article

Breitkreiz, M., Brydon, P. M. R., & Timm, C. (2016). Interrupted orbital motion in density-wave systems. Physical Review B, 94, 205103. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.94.205103

Brydon, P. M. R., Wang, L., Weinert, M., & Agterberg, D. F. (2016). Pairing of j=3/2 fermions in half-Heusler superconductors. Physical Review Letters, 116(17), 177001. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.177001

2015

Journal - Research Article

Schnyder, A. P., & Brydon, P. M. R. (2015). Topological surface states in nodal superconductors. Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, 27(24), 243201. doi: 10.1088/0953-8984/27/24/243201

Timm, C., Rex, S., & Brydon, P. M. R. (2015). Surface instability in nodal noncentrosymmetric superconductors. Physical Review B, 91(18), 180503(R). doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.91.180503

Hui, H.-Y., Brydon, P. M. R., Sau, J. D., Tewari, S., & Das Sarma, S. (2015). Majorana fermions in ferromagnetic chains on the surface of bulk spin-orbit coupled s-wave superconductors. Scientific Reports, 5, 8880. doi: 10.1038/srep08880

Brydon, P. M. R., Das Sarma, S., Hui, H.-Y., & Sau, J. D. (2015). Topological Yu-Shiba-Rusinov chain from spin-orbit coupling. Physical Review B, 91(6), 064505. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.91.064505

Brydon, P. M. R., Schnyder, A. P., & Timm, C. (2015). Helical spin texture of surface states in topological superconductors. New Journal of Physics, 17, 013016 . doi: 10.1088/1367-2630/17/1/013016

Sau, J. D., & Brydon, P. M. R. (2015). Bound states of a ferromagnetic wire in a superconductor. Physical Review Letters, 115, 127003. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.115.127003

Setiawan, F., Brydon, P. M. R., Sau, J. D., & Das Sarma, S. (2015). Conductance spectroscopy of topological superconductor wire junctions. Physical Review B, 91, 214513. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.91.214513

Das Sarma, S., Hui, H.-Y., Brydon, P. M. R., & Sau, J. D. (2015). Substrate-induced Majorana renormalization in topological nanowires. New Journal of Physics, 17, 075001. doi: 10.1088/1367-2630/17/7/075001

2014

Journal - Research Article

Brydon, P. M. R., Das Sarma, S., Hui, H.-Y., & Sau, J. D. (2014). Odd-parity superconductivity from phonon-mediated pairing: Application to Cu_xBi₂Se₃. Physical Review B, 90(18), 184512. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.90.184512

Breitkreiz, M., Brydon, P. M. R., & Timm, C. (2014). Resistive anisotropy due to spin-ﬂuctuation scattering in the nematic phase of iron pnictides. Physical Review B, 90(12), 121104(R). doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.90.121104

Breitkreiz, M., Brydon, P. M. R., & Timm, C. (2014). Transport in multiband systems with hot spots on the Fermi surface: Forward-scattering corrections. Physical Review B, 89(24), 245106. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.89.245106

Schmiedt, J., Brydon, P. M. R., & Timm, C. (2014). Superconducting pairing in the spin-density-wave phase of iron pnictides. Physical Review B, 89(5), 054515. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.89.054515

2013

Journal - Research Article

Gentile, P., Cuoco, M., Romano, A., Noce, C., Manske, D., & Brydon, P. M. R. (2013). Spin-orbital coupling in a triplet superconductor-ferromagnet junction. Physical Review Letters, 11(9), 097003. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.111.097003

Brydon, P. M. R., Chen, W., Asano, Y., & Manske, D. (2013). Charge and spin supercurrents in triplet superconductor-ferromagnet-singlet superconductor Josephson junctions. Physical Review B, 88(5), 054509. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.88.054509

Schnyder, A. P., Timm, C., & Brydon, P. M. R. (2013). Edge currents as a signature of flatbands in topological superconductors. Physical Review Letters, 111(7), 077001. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.111.077001

Breitkreiz, M., Brydon, P. M. R., & Timm, C. (2013). Transport anomalies due to anisotropic interband scattering. Physical Review B, 88(8), 085103. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.88.085103

Brydon, P. M. R., Timm, C., & Schnyder, A. P. (2013). Interface currents in topological superconductor–ferromagnet heterostructures. New Journal of Physics, 15, 045019. doi: 10.1088/1367-2630/15/4/045019

2012

Journal - Research Article

Schmiedt, J., Brydon, P. M. R., & Timm, C. (2012). Doping dependence of antiferromagnetism in models of the pnictides. Physical Review B, 85(21), 214425. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.85.214425

Schnyder, A. P., Brydon, P. M. R., & Timm, C. (2012). Types of topological surface states in nodal noncentrosymmetric superconductors. Physical Review B, 85(2), 024522. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.85.024522

Bujnowski, B., Timm, C., & Brydon, P. M. R. (2012). The Josephson effect between triplet superconductors through a finite ferromagnetic barrier. Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, 24, 045701. doi: 10.1088/0953-8984/24/4/045701

Biography

Current teaching

Course Coordinator

Publications

2026

Journal - Research Article

2025

Journal - Research Article

2024

Journal - Research Article

2023

Journal - Research Article

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

2022

Journal - Research Article

2021

Journal - Research Article

2020

Journal - Research Article

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

2019

Journal - Research Article

Working Paper; Discussion Paper; Technical Report

2018

Journal - Research Article

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

2017

Journal - Research Article

2016

Journal - Research Article

2015

Journal - Research Article

2014

Journal - Research Article

2013

Journal - Research Article

2012

Journal - Research Article

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