Thesis supervisor: Péter Nemes-Incze
Location of studies (in Hungarian): KFKI Abbreviation of location of studies: KFKI
Description of the research topic:
Layered materials can be exfoliated to single unit cell thickness, or even to atomic thickness, using the “scotch tape” method. Such materials include graphene, transition metal chalcogenides (e.g., MoS2), rhombohedral graphite, and others. These materials exhibit a wide spectrum of physical properties; among them, we find metals, semimetals, semiconductors, superconductors, and topological insulators. After exfoliation, these materials can be stacked on top of each other to form atomically perfect interfaces, thereby creating new, artificial 2D electron systems. The electronic properties of these artificial crystals can be precisely tuned by selecting the constituent atomic layers, adjusting their relative twist angle, applying electrostatic doping, and so forth. These low-dimensional electron systems can host emergent topological and correlated electronic states not present in the individual constituent 2D materials. Understanding these emergent properties will open new avenues for employing such artificial crystals in future information and communication technologies.
The PhD student will utilize both existing and new techniques to exfoliate layered materials and to prepare artificial crystals using van der Waals dry stacking techniques established by our research group. The student will also develop techniques for working with these materials in a glovebox environment under N2 gas, ensuring O2 and H2O impurity levels remain below 1 ppm. The single layers and heterostructures of these 2D materials will primarily be investigated using state-of-the-art ultrahigh vacuum, low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy, in addition to Raman and other optical spectroscopy methods.
The work will be conducted with the aid of partners from abroad and from Budapest (BME, ELTE, Wigner).
The PhD student will have the opportunity to work in a young and motivated research team, using the most modern experimental techniques available at the Nanostructures Department of the HUN-REN Centre for Energy Research.
Applicants should contact Peter Nemes-Incze: nemes.incze.peter@ek.hun-ren.hu, or visit the lab at the KFKI Campus (1121 Budapest, Konkoly-Thege way 29-33), building 26, room 21b.
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