Project description
Improved techniques to investigate the dynamics of 2D noble gas clusters
Studying how atoms behave in 2D systems has been a key focus in physics for decades. Noble gases, with their simple atomic interactions, are ideal for exploring these phenomena. Early experiments at cryogenic temperatures laid the groundwork but recent advances in graphene technology allowed researchers to trap noble gases between two graphene layers at elevated temperatures. This breakthrough enables the observation of their atomic arrangement and dynamics, revealing unexpected behaviours – unusual diffusion patterns, surprising fluidity in large clusters and small clusters deviating from typical atomic arrangements. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the DEPT2D project will use cutting-edge microscopy and spectroscopy to investigate how these 2D clusters evolve under different conditions, offering new insights into 2D physics and confined materials.
Objective
Noble gases are governed by the weak and well-understood van der Waals interaction which makes them an excellent model system for different physical phenomena. Condensed noble gases on surfaces at cryogenic temperatures were the first experimental examples of 2D systems back in the 1960s. By encapsulating them between graphene and a substrate in the 2010s, these structures could also be studied at elevated temperatures via STM. However, here the encapsulation layer often obscures the arrangement of trapped atoms. I recently showed that by trapping noble gases between two graphene layers, the atoms can be observed directly via transmission electron microscopy (Längle et al. 2024, Nature Materials). This provides direct insight into the atomic arrangement and dynamics of this system with surprising properties:
* Anomalous diffusion governed by defects in the encapsulating membrane was observed, mimicking diffusion through a 2D glass.
* Clusters become more fluid when they grow, contrary to what is expected in nanomaterials.
* For small clusters, the atomic arrangement deviates from the close-packed hexagonal structure indicating deviations from the assumed isotropic van der Waals interaction.
In this project, I will track the structure of 2D noble gas clusters in time and space using a laser pump-probe setup in a scanning transmission electron microscope, which provides atomic-scale imaging with nanosecond temporal resolution. With this, I will study the diffusion, atomic arrangement, orientational order, symmetry breaking, and phase transitions of 2D clusters as a function of size, temperature, and pressure. Additionally, the bonding, electronic structure and band gap of these clusters under the same conditions will be probed by monochromated electron energy loss spectroscopy.
This will contribute to the fundamental understanding of 2D physics with exciting possibilities for basic condensed-matter research opening avenues toward other 2D confined systems.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences chemical sciences inorganic chemistry noble gases
- engineering and technology nanotechnology nano-materials two-dimensional nanostructures graphene
- natural sciences physical sciences optics microscopy
- engineering and technology materials engineering amorphous solids
- natural sciences physical sciences optics spectroscopy
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
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75794 Paris
France
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