CAREER: Atomically Manipulated Quantum Materials

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Non-technical DescriptionThis research addresses the increasing demand for faster and more efficient ways to process and transfer information by developing materials that use light instead of electrons. This will be realized by controlling light-matter interactions down to the single-atom level, which will result in more powerful and scalable devices for computation and communication. Such atomic precision has long been an elusive goal, but now there are methods to reach it by using focused beams of high-energy electrons. The team will employ these tools to directly manipulate the atomic structure of solids and create useful light emitting centers. In this project, the group will establish a theoretical and experimental research program to investigate the new properties resulting from altering the atomic structure of so-called two-dimensional materials, namely materials that are only one atom thick. The PI’s long-term research goal is to control light-matter interactions down to an extremely small scale, the nanoscale, to develop new materials and devices for faster computing and sensing. The research activity of this project will be integrated with educational outreach to local, disadvantaged secondary schools and the large underrepresented minority population at the City University of New York. These educational activities will demystify and teach quantum technology at multiple educational levels. Underrepresented students at different levels will take part in cutting-edge research opportunities that will help them to better prepare for college and careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The team will collaborate with science teachers at local high schools to create a program based on quantum science that connects younger generations and underrepresented groups with advanced research. The goal is to increase these students’ participation in quantum research and STEM and equip them to become active players in the future of society.Technical Description The overarching goal of this research is to establish a theoretical and experimental research activity to characterize and control with unprecedented precision solid-state emitters, such as excitons and atom-like systems, in atomically-patterned two-dimensional materials. The PI combines high resolution transmission electron microscopy, advanced image analysis based on neural networks, high resolution imaging and spectroscopy to create regular networks of active defects in two-dimensional materials and study light-matter interactions in these new systems. Two objectives drive this research: (i) Shape the exciton potential landscape in two-dimensional semiconductors to design multifunctional atomic-scale excitonic circuits. By engineering the dielectric function through atomic manipulation, the PI is pioneering methods for controlling exciton confinement, interaction, and emission with specifically designed atomic superlattices and traps that, combined together, create functional atomic circuits for enhanced exciton transport and coherence. (ii) Tailor the single-photon emission of deterministically produced structural defects in 2D materials. Answering fundamental questions about the nature of single-photon emitters may open pathways to new quantum regimes arising from large-scale emitter arrays with controlled interaction and integration with photonic resonators. The proposed approach has the potential to change the landscape of solid-state quantum technologies, providing a new level of scientific understanding of quantum materials as well as the tools to produce and control them. By targeting the building blocks of many optical devices, this project will establish quantum photonics as a reliable and inherently powerful technology for metrology, communication, and information processing.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.