Projects

Our Group:

  • Focuses on emergent quantum phenomena, primarily those that arise because of the interaction between electrons or the topological properties of their wavefunctions in materials. Such phenomena are at the frontiers of expanding our understanding of quantum materials.
  • Specializes in both the development and application of quantum microscopy and spectroscopy to visualize and characterize the nature of such correlated and topological quantum states with high spatial and energy resolution.
  • Focuses on developing quantum microscopy techniques to perform measurements that were previously not possible and to direct these advanced capabilities towards the most current questions in condensed matter physics.

Current Research Projects

Novel electronic states in moiré superlattices of magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene

Stacks of 2D van der Waals monolayer materials represent a new platform for the realization of correlated and topological electronic states...(read more.)

Majoranas in condensed matter systems

Majorana fermions are quasiparticles that are the condensed matter analogs of exotic particles first proposed by Ettore Majorana as neutral free fermions that are their own antiparticle. Their emergence in a condensed matter setting...(read more.)

Novel 2D materials and devices

Ever since the isolation of single-atom-thick graphene an ever-growing number of two-dimensional (2D) atomic crystals have been created. These 2D atomic crystals have properties that are very different from their 3D bulk crystals...(read more)

Visualizing Landau orbits and anyons in quantum Hall phases

Landau Orbits: We imaged Landau orbit wavefunctions in quantum Hall phases using our ultra-high vacuum... Anyons: We extended STM imaging of Landau levels in an integer quantum Hall... (read more.)

Techniques and Instrument Development

Modular ultra-high vacuum millikelvin scanning tunneling microscopy

Our UHV, millikelvin ultra-low temperature scanning tunneling microscope (ULT-STM) came online March 2019. Its modular design... (read more.)

New: Millikelvin atomic force microscopy

We are developing a new capability to perform atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques for device-like structures at millikelvin temperatures. AFM measurements...(read more.)

High-frequency scanning probe microscope (Unisoku USM1300)

The Unisoku USM1300 Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM) is capable of operating below 400 millikelvin and with a vector magnetic field of 2-2-9 T in X-Y-Z directions... (read more)

Recent Research Projects

Visualizing symmetry broken quantum Hall phases and their toplogical boundary modes

The first example of a topological phase of matter is that of integer quantum Hall states, which are characterized by a topological gap in the bulk and the formation of topological boundary modes. Quantum Hall phases with multicomponent electronic degree of freedom, such as valley or layered systems, bring additional…

Weyl and Dirac semi-metals

Topological phases are not limited to gapped systems, sparking theoretical prediction that there can be metallic phases or nodal superconductors with...exotic quasiparticles...(read more)

Topological insulators and their boundary modes

Topological insulators (TIs) distinguish themselves from ordinary insulators by hosting boundary modes, such as surface states in 3D TIs and... (read more).

Emergence of heavy quasiparticles and their superconductivity

We have directly visualized how interactions between electrons can give rise to emergent heavy quasiparticles... (read more).

Pseudogap, charge-ordering, and high Tc in cuprates

We were the first to develop high-resolution spectroscopy as a function of temperature on high-Tc cuprates... (read more).