CAREER:Light-Matter Interaction in Van der Waals Heterostructures of Atomically Thin Semiconductors

光-物质相互作用在包括太阳能电池、光探测和发光设备在内的现代技术中发挥着关键作用。这种相互作用在原子薄的半导体中采取了一种新的形式，其中结合正负电荷的新粒子是由光产生的。了解和操纵这些粒子可以改进设备，甚至实现目前无法实现的新功能，例如节能存储设备和量子计算。将不同的层状半导体堆叠在一起，并调整层与层之间的相互作用，可以进一步设计这些粒子，并导致传统材料无法实现的新性能。这个职业项目的主要目标是探索和研究单个和堆叠原子薄半导体中独特的光-物质相互作用和新出现的性质。所获得的理解可以为如何利用这种有限空间中的这种新的光-物质相互作用，以更高的效率、更快的速度，甚至是新的功能来开发未来的光电子学提供帮助。综合教育部分通过研究机会、课程开发和外联活动，培训纳米级科学和工程领域的下一代劳动力，重点是鼓励妇女和代表性不足的群体参与。伦斯勒理工学院的现有计划和新开发的扩展计划将被用来鼓励K-12学生在高级光学科学和纳米技术领域学习。二维半导体，特别是单层过渡金属二卤化物(TMDCs)的出现，为量子光电子学的激子物理研究带来了前所未有的机遇，但样品质量往往阻碍了人们对激子本征性质的理解。通过制造高质量的单层TMDC器件，这个职业项目旨在利用先进的光学光谱技术来研究单层TMDDC中独特的光-物质相互作用，重点是对激子性质至关重要的多体物理。设备和测量配置允许控制掺杂、电场和磁场，这为光谱研究提供了额外的调谐旋钮。此外，还将构建界面干净的范德华异质结构TMDCs器件，以研究电子和空穴位于不同层中的引人入胜的层间激子。此外，异质双层TMDCs的扭转角度将被控制以产生莫尔势，以进一步为新出现的量子态设计层间激子。紧密结合的研究和教育部分为研究生、本科生和K-12年级的学生提供关于高级光学光谱学、纳米器件制造和量子材料的培训机会。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Light-matter interaction plays a critical role in modern technologies, including solar cells, photodetection, and light-emitting devices. This interaction takes a new form in the atomically thin semiconductors, in which new particles combining positive and negative charges are created by light. Understanding and manipulating these particles could improve devices and even realize new functions that are not currently possible, such as power-efficient memory devices and quantum computing. Stacking different layered semiconductors together and tuning the layer-layer interaction could further engineer these particles and lead to new properties not feasible in conventional materials. The main objectives of this CAREER project are to explore and investigate the unique light-matter interaction and emerging properties in individual and stacked atomically thin semiconductors. The gained understanding can shed light on how to exploit this new light-matter interaction in confined space for future optoelectronics with better efficiency, faster speed, or even novel functions. The integrated education component trains the next generation workforce for science and engineering at the nanometer scale through research opportunities, curriculum development, and outreach activities, with a focus on encouraging the participation of women and underrepresented groups. Both existing programs at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and newly developed outreach programs will be utilized to encourage K-12 students to study in the field of advanced optical science and nanoscale technology. The emergence of two-dimensional semiconductors, especially monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), ushers in unprecedented opportunities in exploiting the excitonic physics for quantum optoelectronics, while the understanding of intrinsic properties of the exciton is often hindered by the sample quality. By fabricating high-quality monolayer TMDC devices, this CAREER project aims to employ advanced optical spectroscopy techniques to study the unique light-matter interaction in monolayer TMDCs, with a focus on many-body physics that is critical for the exciton properties. The device and measurement configurations enable the control of doping, electrical field, and magnetic field, which provide additional tuning knobs for the spectroscopy study. Van der Waals heterostructure TMDCs devices with clean interfaces will also be constructed to investigate fascinating interlayer excitons, with the electron and hole residing in different layers. In addition, the twist angle of the hetero-bilayer TMDCs will be controlled to create a Moiré potential to further engineer interlayer excitons for emerging quantum states. The closely integrated research and education components provide training opportunities for graduate, undergraduate, and K-12 students on advanced optical spectroscopy, nanoscale device fabrication, and quantum materials.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.