SURF Mentoring

Potential projects/topics: Next-generation electronics and quantum information technology will be supported by nanodevices with strong quantum effects. The operation conditions of such devices include high electric field, large thermal gradient, and possibly cryogenic temperatures. The far-from-equilibrium dynamics of such devices occurs at atomic scale (10^-10 meter) and ultrafast speed (<10^-12 second). To control and probe the device physics with such precision, our research focus on manipulating the structure of van der Waals two-dimensional materials and observe the interaction among quantum electronic, spin, and lattice states in a wide energy range from meV to eV with ultrafast spectroscopy. In this project, we will teach undergraduate basic concepts and recent frontiers of non-equilibrium materials physics and optical engineering. We will train undergraduate students to prepare nanomaterials and devices, characterize their basic optical and electrical properties, and package them for studying the energy flow between electrons and atoms with advanced spectroscopy and imaging. In particular, the spin-atom coupling under intense driving fields and high dynamic stress will be investigated with ultrafast time-resolved terahertz and optical spectroscopy at the van der Waals interfaces.

Potential skills gained: Nanomaterials physics, optoelectronics, optical microscopy and spectroscopy

Required qualifications: Physics 102 or equivalent

Direct mentor: Faculty/P.I., Graduate Student