Chair of Experimental Solid State Physics
print
Breadcrumb Navigation
Content

Research

Designer 2D vdW hetero-structures and Twistronics

Picture2-2

Two-dimensional (2D) crystals can be extracted from a variety of bulk van der Waals (vdW) materials, and assembled on top of each other into vertical hetero-structures. By choosing a precise sequence of assembly one can engineer complex designer materials with strong electronic interactions and enhanced quantum effects, and tune these with electrical and magnetic fields. As the vdW layers can be assembled with an arbitrary crystallographic angle between them, this enables an entirely new concept – Twistronics, where the mismatch between two similar lattices generates a “moire” pattern. For two graphene layers, twisted with a well defined “magic” angle of 1.1′, ultra-flat bands are formed, and give rise to superconductivity.

 

Ultra-fast thermal measurement and Quantum sensing


Picture2

Thermal measurements of nano-scale electron ensembles are notoriously challenging, due to their ultra-small heat capacities and ultra-fast thermal relaxation times. To overcome these challenges we have developed a measurement scheme which simultaneously uses ultra-fast laser heating and wide bandwidth RF Johnson noise thermometry, allowing a sensitivity of ΔT~1mK and a read-out time of Δt~1ps. The remarkably low electronic heat capacity of 2D compounds positions these as cutting-edge calorimetric materials for energy-resolved single photon detection, in particular in the THz and GHz. For these ultra-long wavelengths photon detectors are so-far non-existent, but are direly needed in such distant fields like radio-astronomy, quantum communication and bio-medical imaging.

 

 

 


Ongoing projects

  • 2023-2027, SuperC, Keele Foundation Grant (Private Donation), 300.000€.
  • 2023-2027, FLATS, EU EIC Pathfinder Grant (EU), Ref: 101099139, 656.750€.
  • 2021-2026, Munich Quantum Valley Quantum Technology Park (MQV QTPE) (GER), Ref: 1705414, 8.831.894€.
  • 2022-2025, Core-member Munich Center of Quantum Science and Technology (MCQST) (GER), Ref: 390814868, 77.000€/year.
  • 2020-2025, SuperTwist, ERC Starting Grant (EU), Ref: 852927, 1.780.000€.

Past projects
  • 2018-2022, 2D-SIPC, EU Horizon 2020 Quantum Flagship (EU), Ref: 820378, 530.000€. 
  • 2018-2021, 2DSC, LaCaixa foundation Junior Leaders fellowship (SP), 305.700€.

Major collaborations

  • Prof. A. B. Bernevig, theory of topology in twistronic materials, Princeton, USA
  • Prof. L. Levitov, theory of scattering mechanisms in twistronic materials, MIT, USA
  • Prof. A. MacDonald, theory of superconductivity in graphene, UT Austin, USA
  • Prof. A. Vishvanath, theory of correlated states in twistronic materials, Harvard, USA
  • Prof. P. Kim, thermal transport in magic angle graphene, Harvard, USA
  • Prof. E. Zeldov, scanning probe of graphene, Weizmann, IL
  • Prof. P. Roulleau, shot noise in graphene, CEA Paris, FR
  • Prof. P. Hakkonen, impedance spectroscopy of superconductors, Aalto, FIN
  • Prof. S. Ganichev, THz spectroscopy of moiré materials, Regensburg, GER
  • Dr. K. C. Fong, microwave and quantum circuits, BBN Raytheon and Harvard, USA
  • Dr. B. Piot, high magnetic field transport of hetero-structures, Grenoble, FR