CAREER: Approaching the 1D transport limit in van der Waals nanoribbons

非技术摘要：越来越小的封装需要越来越强大和复杂的设备。最终，一个单分子大小的晶体管将真正打破目前集成的限制。由于缺乏稳定和功能所需的有前途的分子细丝材料，这一方向的研究进展缓慢。这项工作的重点是从所谓的范德华晶体中制造出化学稳定的、具有电子功能的分子线，并研究它们的基本性质。使用这种方法，该团队的目标是揭示一维材料系统中的新传输行为，并探索为该应用创造电子设备的可能性。研究活动无缝地融入了包括高中、本科生、研究生和博士后在内的各级科学教育中，强调对当地代表性不足群体的科学专业发展。PI还建立了一个全面的指导系统，以培养本科生和研究生成为未来科学素养和研究的领导者。技术摘要：本项目研究范德华(VDW)纳米线的一维(1D)输运性质，以解决1D极限下关于输运物理的关键开放问题。VDW纳米线是一种新型的一维材料平台。它们的高度各向异性的一维性质使它们非常适合研究一维物理。需要回答的基本问题是：1)电导的幂定律是如何在一维严格限制的VDW纳米带中表现出来的？2)Tomonaga Luttinger液体(TLL)和一维Mott绝缘体之间的转变能否在VDW纳米带中实现？3)自旋轨道耦合(SOC)如何改变VDW纳米带中TLL的输运行为？4)用SOC增强的VDW纳米带能否增加Majorana束缚态的温度范围？为了解决这些问题，研究小组正在进行以下实验，以VDW纳米带为中心：1)悬浮纳米带上的隧道传输测量，2)平行纳米带上的动量分辨光谱，以及3)半导体VDW纳米带中Majorana束缚态的检测。该项目建立了低维材料研究的新前沿。VDW纳米带的纯一维性质使得在单分子链的一维极限中进行实验研究成为可能。对一维电子输运关键问题的探讨有助于加深对严格一维体系中电子行为的理解，有利于一维输运物理的理论发展。这项研究中提出的测量方法直接适用于使用其他新型一维材料的设备，并启发了设备研究。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。

Non-technical Abstract: Increasingly powerful and sophisticated devices are needed in an ever-smaller package. Ultimately, a transistor of a size of a single molecule, would truly break the current limits of integration. The progress in this direction of research is slowed by lack of promising molecularly thin wire materials, which are required for both stability and functionality. This work focuses on creating chemically stable and electronically functional molecular wires from so-called van der Waals crystals and studying their fundamental properties. Using this approach, the team aims to reveal new transport behavior in one-dimensional material systems and to explore the possibilities of creating electronic devices for the application. Research activities are seamlessly integrated into science education at various levels, including high school, undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral levels, emphasizing on scientific professional development on local underrepresented groups. The PI also builds a comprehensive mentoring system to train undergraduates and graduate students to be the future generations of leaders in science literacy and research.Technical Abstract: This project investigates one-dimensional (1D) transport properties in van der Waals (vdW) nanowire to address critical open questions about transport physics in the 1D limit. VdW nanowires are a new category of 1D material platforms. Their highly anisotropic 1D nature makes them a perfect fit for the study of 1D physics. Fundamental questions to be answered are: 1) How is the power law of conductance manifested in strictly 1D confining vdW nanoribbons? 2) Can the transition between Tomonaga Luttinger liquid (TLL) and 1D Mott insulator be realized in vdW nanoribbons? 3) How does spin-orbit coupling (SOC) modify the transport behavior of TLLs in vdW nanoribbons? 4) Can the temperature range of the Majorana bound state be increased using SOC-enhanced vdW nanoribbons? To address these questions, the research team is conducting the following experiments, centered on vdW nanoribbons: 1) tunneling transport measurements on suspended nanoribbon, 2) momentum resolved spectroscopy on parallel nanoribbons, and 3) detection of the Majorana bound state in semiconducting vdW nanoribbons. This project establishes a new frontier in low-dimensional material research. The pure 1D nature of vdW nanoribbons enables experimental studies in the 1D limit of the single molecular chain. The exploration of critical aspects of 1D electron transport helps to advance the understanding of electron behavior in strictly 1D systems and benefits the theoretical development of 1D transport physics. The measurement methodology proposed in this study applies directly to devices using other novel 1D materials and inspires device research.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.