Project description
Controlling exciton interactions in atomically thin semiconductors
Semiconductors that are as thin as an atom are promising materials for nanoscale photonic devices. Their fascinating properties are largely determined by excitons – bound electron-hole pairs – that interact with electrical charges, spins and phonons. Funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the MaPWave project will synthesise transition metal dichalcogenides and leverage strong many-body (electron-hole) interactions to generate exciton condensates. Advanced spectroscopy methods will be used to study electron-hole interactions. Controlling fundamental interactions in semiconductors could enable engineering 2D optoelectronic devices with specific functions.
Objective
Atomically thin semiconductors are emerging as an important class of quantum materials that provide groundbreaking functionalities in device architectures. In particular, tailoring quantum degrees of freedom associated with charge, spin and orbital quantum numbers, as well as twist angle, could enable novel electronic, spintronic, valleytronic and twistronic applications. These fascinating properties are all contained in the quantum mechanical wavefunctions associated with the charge carrying electrons and holes of the semiconductors. Here, I will prepare heterostructures of two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenide semiconductors and use the strong many-body interactions in the materials to generate condensates of electron-hole pair excitations. The many-body wavefunctions of these so-called exciton condensates will be visualised for the first time using advanced photoemission spectroscopies that provide complementary access to the energy-, momentum-, time- and length-scales of the excitations. I hypothesise that this fundamental level of control of the underlying quantum mechanisms of the semiconductors will ultimately enable highly specific quantum engineering of 2D optoelectronic devices. I will combine my expertise on non-equilibrium femtosecond dynamics of 2D semiconductors with the capabilities of my host group at Aarhus University, Denmark, in order to gain access to multiple photoemission spectroscopy experiments with nanoscale spatial resolution and femtosecond time-resolution, as well as 2D material fabrication facilities. These new skills and networking opportunities will ultimately enable me to obtain a permanent academic position.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-AG-UN - HORIZON Unit GrantCoordinator
8000 Aarhus C
Denmark