Quantum dynamics of electrons in emerging van der Waals devices
Lead Research Organisation:
Loughborough University
Department Name: Physics
Abstract
The rich and diverse properties of the several hundred different types of atomically thin, two dimensional (2D) materials offer exciting new research directions for both fundamental science and for technological applications. The character of these 2D crystals are often preserved and even enhanced when different layers are stacked together. These 2D crystal stacks are a new class of "designer" materials known as van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures which offer a way to tune and exploit the novel and exotic quantum properties of electrons in 2D materials. By choosing the appropriate combination of layer materials, electron transport characteristics can be built-in and tailored for specific device applications. Moreover, their electronic properties can be fine-tuned by modifying the relative twist angle between the layers of the devices. This provides a huge configuration space of material choice and relative twist angle for the development of new science and applications: recently demonstrated phenomena include transistors, light emitting diodes, sensitive photodetectors, spin valves, superconductivity, magnetic proximity effects, dielectric screening effects and lasing.
The goal of this project is to understand the fundamental physics of electron quantum dynamics in vdW heterostructures and use this insight to investigate new ways to control electron dynamics for future device applications. Our work will focus on the development of new theoretical models of the electronic properties of vdW heterostructures to investigate: the limits to in-plane transport and carrier mobility due to lattice vibrations in vdW heterostructures; the effect of strong magnetic fields and layer patterning on the electron dynamics; interlayer tunnelling through quantum-confined sub-bands in vdW semiconductors. The successful development of these theories will be highly relevant to both academic and industrial researchers. They will be used to design new high-frequency transistors and oscillators with application in multi-valued logic devices, communication, security, medicine, and imaging.
We will work closely with theoretical and experimental colleagues at the Universities of Manchester and Nottingham, with theorists at Osaka University, Japan, and develop new links with industry. Together, these collaborations will allow direct feedback of measurements into and from our programme of theoretical work and thus enable mutual fast development of both the theroetical and experimental work.
The goal of this project is to understand the fundamental physics of electron quantum dynamics in vdW heterostructures and use this insight to investigate new ways to control electron dynamics for future device applications. Our work will focus on the development of new theoretical models of the electronic properties of vdW heterostructures to investigate: the limits to in-plane transport and carrier mobility due to lattice vibrations in vdW heterostructures; the effect of strong magnetic fields and layer patterning on the electron dynamics; interlayer tunnelling through quantum-confined sub-bands in vdW semiconductors. The successful development of these theories will be highly relevant to both academic and industrial researchers. They will be used to design new high-frequency transistors and oscillators with application in multi-valued logic devices, communication, security, medicine, and imaging.
We will work closely with theoretical and experimental colleagues at the Universities of Manchester and Nottingham, with theorists at Osaka University, Japan, and develop new links with industry. Together, these collaborations will allow direct feedback of measurements into and from our programme of theoretical work and thus enable mutual fast development of both the theroetical and experimental work.
People |
ORCID iD |
Mark Greenaway (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Berdyugin AI
(2022)
Out-of-equilibrium criticalities in graphene superlattices.
in Science (New York, N.Y.)
Gosling JH
(2023)
Graphene FETs with high and low mobilities have universal temperature-dependent properties.
in Nanotechnology
Greenaway MT
(2021)
Graphene's non-equilibrium fermions reveal Doppler-shifted magnetophonon resonances accompanied by Mach supersonic and Landau velocity effects.
in Nature communications
Lasisi S
(2022)
Modeling of Resonant Tunneling Diode Oscillators Based on the Time-Domain Boundary Element Method
in IEEE Journal on Multiscale and Multiphysics Computational Techniques
Lasisi S
(2022)
A Fast Converging Resonance-Free Global Multi-Trace Method for Scattering by Partially Coated Composite Structures
in IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation
Vdovin E
(2023)
A magnetically-induced Coulomb gap in graphene due to electron-electron interactions
in Communications Physics
Yan W
(2021)
Nondestructive Picosecond Ultrasonic Probing of Intralayer and van der Waals Interlayer Bonding in a- and ß-In 2 Se 3
in Advanced Functional Materials
Title | Source data for: "A magnetically-induced Coulomb gap in graphene due to electron-electron interactions" Communications Physics volume 6, Article number: 159 (2023) |
Description | This repository contains the source data for the article "A magnetically-induced Coulomb gap in graphene due to electron-electron interactions". This article can be found at Communications Physics volume 6, Article number: 159 (2023), 10.1038/s42005-023-01277-y |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2023 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://repository.lboro.ac.uk/articles/dataset/Source_data_for_A_magnetically-induced_Coulomb_gap_i... |
Title | Supplementary information files for Graphene's non-equilibrium fermions reveal Doppler-shifted magnetophonon resonances accompanied by Mach supersonic and Landau velocity effects |
Description | Supplementary files for article Graphene's non-equilibrium fermions reveal Doppler-shifted magnetophonon resonances accompanied by Mach supersonic and Landau velocity effects. Oscillatory magnetoresistance measurements on graphene have revealed a wealth of novel physics. These phenomena are typically studied at low currents. At high currents, electrons are driven far from equilibrium with the atomic lattice vibrations so that their kinetic energy can exceed the thermal energy of the phonons. Here, we report three non-equilibrium phenomena in monolayer graphene at high currents: (i) a "Doppler-like" shift and splitting of the frequencies of the transverse acoustic (TA) phonons emitted when the electrons undergo inter-Landau level (LL) transitions; (ii) an intra-LL Mach effect with the emission of TA phonons when the electrons approach supersonic speed, and (iii) the onset of elastic inter-LL transitions at a critical carrier drift velocity, analogous to the superfluid Landau velocity. All three quantum phenomena can be unified in a single resonance equation. They offer avenues for research on out-of-equilibrium phenomena in other two-dimensional fermion systems. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2021 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://repository.lboro.ac.uk/articles/dataset/Supplementary_information_files_for_Graphene_s_non-e... |
Description | Collaboration on modelling the electromagnetic emission from 2D devices |
Organisation | University of Ghent |
Country | Belgium |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Models of electron transport in nano-patterned graphene. |
Collaborator Contribution | Coupling the electron transport models to full simulations of the electromagnetic properties and electromagnetic emission from the system. |
Impact | Papers on the methodology submitted to IEEE conference in 2023. |
Start Year | 2022 |
Description | Collaboration on the electronic properties of 2D materials with the University of Nottingham |
Organisation | University of Nottingham |
Department | School of Physics and Astronomy |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | We are undertaking ab-initio calculations of the properties of 2D In2Se3. |
Collaborator Contribution | ARPES measurements on In2Se3 |
Impact | Research articles on the electronic properties of 2D materials. |
Start Year | 2021 |
Description | Quantum transport properties of graphene with the University of Manchester |
Organisation | University of Manchester |
Department | School of Physics and Astronomy Manchester |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Quantum transport calculations of non-equilibrium electron dynamics in graphene |
Collaborator Contribution | Fabrication and measurement of the properties of large-size high quality graphene layers. |
Impact | Articles in Science and Nature Communications on the electronic properties of graphene. |
Start Year | 2021 |
Description | Conference talk |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | This was a research talk to the quantum materials community who gathered at a conference in Bath in June 2022. The talk generated interest in the topic of non eqilibirum effects in graphene. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | http://cmqm2022.iopconfs.org/home |
Description | Research talk at Osaka University |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | This was a talk to the department of electronic engineering at Osaka university on van der Waals heterostructures. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Research talk at the University of Warwick |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | This was a talk on my research on defect assisted tunnelling in graphene-based van der Waals heterostructures. The talk was to members of the EPSRC CDT in Modelling of Heterogeneous Systems |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Workshop on sustainable materials |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | This was an Institute of Physics workshop on the development of materials for sustainable applications. I gave a talk on my work on van der Waals heterostructures with some potential applications for low power electronics. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |