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Projects/Programs

Displaying 1 - 15 of 15

Atom Manipulation with the Scanning Tunneling Microscope

Completed
Manipulation of single atoms with the scanning tunneling microscope is made possible through the controlled and tunable interaction between the atoms at the end of the STM probe tip and the single atom (adatom) on a surface that is being manipulated. In the STM tunneling junction used for atom

Designing Advanced Scanning Probe Microscopy Instruments

Ongoing
SPM is a general acronym for various probe instruments. The "P" in SPM stands for various types of probe measurements, such as capacitance (C), force (F), tunneling (T), etc. The scanning tunneling microscope (STM), including custom designs at the CNST, uses the quantum mechanical principle of

Electron Spin Resonance at the Single Atom Level

Ongoing
To study electron spin resonance (ESR) on single atoms requires a tool that can probe at atomic length scales. The scanning tunneling microscope (STM) is ideally suited for this, using a tunneling current to probe surfaces. To implement this ESR-STM combination, we send a radio frequency (RF

Engineered Designer Lattices for Quantum Systems

Ongoing
Exposing the low-dimensional materials to a superlattice periodic potential is an effective way to engineer their electronic and other solid-state properties. One example is the moiré superlattice, created by stacking two-dimensional layers at a twist angle, which leads to novel band structures and

Graphene

Ongoing
Two remarkable features of graphene that are opening avenues to multiple applications are its high transport carrier mobility and the broad tunability of its electronic properties. Graphene charge carriers can be tuned continuously from negative carriers (i.e., electrons) to positive carriers (holes

Integer and Fractional Quantum Hall Effect

Ongoing
Integer Quantum Hall Effect Graphene is a unique 2DEG system that is exposed at the surface and can be probed with scanning tunneling measurements.  A hallmark of graphene that results from the unique linear dispersion is that the energy spacing between the Landau levels is not constant but varies

Moiré Systems

Ongoing
Twisted double bilayer graphene The moiré systems of magic angle twisted bilayer graphene (MATBG) and related heterostructures support topological bands with nonzero Chern number, which is derived from the Berry curvature of the Bloch wave functions. Berry curvature is intimately related to orbital

Quantum anomalous Hall effect Theory

Ongoing
The quantum anomalous Hall effect is a phenomenon in which certain magnetic insulators exhibit a zero-field Hall resistance value, 𝑅 𝐻, that is precisely quantized in terms of fundamental constants of nature: 𝑅 𝐻 = ℎ/𝑛𝑒 2, where ℎ is Planck's constant, 𝑒 is the charge of the electron and 𝑛 is a

Quantum Transport Measurements

Ongoing
It is necessary to isolate, control, and understand the fundamental physics of exotic states of matter to create nanoengineered systems with the requisite quantum properties for quantum information systems and advanced computing applications. We develop measurement capabilities and design test

Spin-orbit interaction in devices and quantum materials

Ongoing
The spin degree of freedom can provide a basis for next-generation electronic devices. Spintronic devices typically include materials with magnetic ordering, such as ferromagnets or antiferromagnets. The state of the magnetization influences charge and spin current through an effect known as

Structure, Defects, and Scattering in Graphene

Completed
The graphene honeycomb lattice is a key element in determining many of graphene's spectacular properties, which are desirable for a host of electronic applications. The graphene 6-fold symmetric lattice gives rise to charge carriers behaving like light-waves having zero mass. The charge carriers in

Theory and Modeling of Materials for Renewable Energy

Completed
Nanostructured materials offer potential benefits for a range of renewable energy applications that rely critically on interfaces for separating charges, including photovoltaics, thermoelectrics, and electrochemical energy storage. The use of nanostructures allows scientists and engineers to

Theory of Spin-Orbit Torque

Completed
A ferromagnetic material such as iron acquires its magnetization because the magnetic orientation of its constituent atoms all line up in the same way. Because individual electrons also have an intrinsic magnetic moment – which is often referred to as the electron “spin” - they can interact with

Topological Insulators

Ongoing
Dichalcogenide-Based Topological Insulators A family of TI materials can by synthesized by combining binary compounds of Bismuth (Bi) or Antimony (Sb) with Selenium (Se) and Tellurium (Te) to form Bi 2Se 3, Bi 2Te 3, and Sb 2Te 3 compounds. In these material compounds, the spin of the electron has a
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