2D and Moiré Materials | Strong Correlations and Topology | Quantum Transport and Surface Probes
Novel electronic phenomena for quantum devices
The backbone of modern computation is the silicon transistor, which is made of a semiconductor material that can be tuned into a state where electrical current is able to flow (on) or is unable to flow (off). The tunability of the semicondutor material into on- and off-states is what makes it such a powerful tool. While modern day academic and industry researchers are ever improving our ability to make smaller, cheaper, and more energy efficient transistors, the next generation of electronics will likely need to go past the transistor paradigm. For example, there is no clear silicon-transistor-analogue with which to build a quantum computer. Future technology will need new physics, which we may already be revealing.
The next generation of electronics will likely take advantage of the fundamentally quantum mechanical nature of our world. The Waters Lab researches ways to engineer novel electrical and magnetic phenomena in quantum materials. We are interested in engineering systems where strong electron-electron interactions (or strong correlations) are present, which can facilitate the formation of phases of matter like superconductivity. In addition, we are interested in manifesting and controlling “topological” materials, where the geometry of the electron wave function leads to novel properties like spontaneous magnetic behavior. The forefront of our field is creating, tuning, and intermixing strongly correlated and topological phenomena, in which 2D and moiré materials excel.
Image credit: Ellis Thompson