I study various quantum phases and phase transitions in electronic systems. Just like the different phases of familiar materials — solid, liquid, gas, etc. — there can be different arrangements of electrons in quantum systems that lead to phases with a wide range of different properties. My research falls into the field of condensed matter physics, which studies collective behavior of many-particle systems, usually at low temperatures. In many of these systems, electrons cannot move freely, like atoms in a gas, but are subject to severe constraints, for example from Coulomb repulsion. To accommodate strong interactions, the electrons must act collectively and may form phases of matter very different from familiar metals or insulators. Additional constraints on the motion of electrons are imposed by symmetries such as the ones set by the structure of the underlying crystal. Satisfying the demands of both symmetry and interaction requires the electrons ‘to be creative’ which may result in truly exotic properties, such as systems where electrons get stripped of their charge but otherwise maintain their integrity. Lately, a lot of research — much of it at Caltech — has focused on systems with a third kind of constraint on the motion of electrons: topology. Since coming to IQIM, I have studied systems that mix all three of these ingredients together. You can get an abundance of fascinating things that you would never really have thought of before.