Imaging and Spectroscopy of Advanced Nanomaterials using Electron Microscopy

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This program aims to study the correlation between atomic arrangement and phonon/electronic properties in advanced materials that exhibit potential for the development of novel technologies for heat control/management, optoelectronics, and quantum computing. The Chair program will particularly focus on the effects of nanoscale structural features (defects and interfaces) on phonon and electronic properties. The proposed research program includes two main objectives: i) To discover the role of the atomic arrangement in the phonon properties of nanomaterials to better understand the role played by lattice vibrations in phonon-driven phenomena. The materials considered will include oxide interfaces, thermal conductor, electronic materials, and quantum materials. ii) To discover the role of defect states and strain in the electronic structure of novel materials such as twisted 2D materials and quantum materials. This work will focus on addressing unanswered questions in well-studied materials and explore new uncharted territories of twistronics and quantum materials.The research will use a scanning transmission electron microscope equipped with an aberration corrector, monochromator, and spectrometer allowing angstrom-resolution imaging and sub-10meV spectroscopy. Spectroscopy studies will be performed in real and reciprocal spaces at an unprecedented spatial and energy resolution, while keeping the specimen at different temperatures (150 - 1300 K).The novelty and originality of this program is that it will bring a deeper understanding of nanoscale heat transfer and identify the spectral response of heat transfer across interfaces in nanoscale devices. Furthermore, the spectral vibrational response and partial density of states of atom-scale defects will be also determined and the correlation of defects/strain with their electronic properties will be understood. This knowledge will be beneficial for tuning optoelectronic properties and interpret rigorously experimental data for optoelectronics devices, enabling a broader understanding of quantum material properties.With this new knowledge, researchers will be able to understand the very fundamental characteristics of new materials (e.g. thermal conductors, semiconductors, superconductors) and the structure-property relationship of materials, which will lead to practical applications as development of efficient solid-state transistors, solar panels, and infrared detectors in the Canadian industry.