The University of Kent has an active research community studying a range of phenomena in theoretical and applied condensed matter physics. The School of Physical Sciences hosts the interdisciplinary Functional Materials Group, with major recent investments in both theory and experiment of correlated quantum matter.

Of particular interest to the quantiki community, several theory groups within the Quantum Materials and Magnetism are working with quantum information methods, including DMRG (groups of Sam Carr and Gunnar Möller), tensor networks (Gunnar Möller) and other entanglement based approaches (group of Jorge Quintanilla). Some overarching themes of our research are: relativistic quantum-mechanical effects (e.g. spin-orbit coupling) in rare earths and superconductors; topological aspects of condensed matter physics; light-matter interactions; ferroic complex oxides and their interfaces; and new quantum phases of matter.
Closely related experimental work is undertaken in the groups of Silvia Ramos (neutron scattering), and Emma Pugh (low temperature, high pressure, high field experiments).