The Physics & Astronomy Colloquium Series presents Dr. Eric Stinaff of Ohio University discussing “Size Matters: Opto-electronic Studies of Nanostructured and Atomically Thin Materials" on Sept. 3.

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Stinaff is associate professor of Physics & Astronomy at Ohio University and director of the Nanoscale Quantum Phenomena Institute (NQPI) . 

Abstract: Our group investigates the optical and electronic properties of novel semiconductor nanomaterials, nanostructures and nanostructure-based devices. An early focus of our research was on quantum dots (QDs), nanoscale crystals whose dimensions are on the order of the size of the charge carriers (e.g. electrons). As individual QDs are brought together they begin to display molecular behavior, forming bonding and antibonding orbitals. This new class of coupled nanostructures has shown unique properties such as tunable g-factors and the formation of anti-bonding ground states. I will describe results from our research into these artificial molecules including optical studies of single spins, tunable luminescence lifetime effects, and the ability to control processes such as the electron-hole exchange interaction. More recently our group has shifted focus to atomically thin, two-dimensional (2D), materials. New 2D materials are consistently being reported with exceptional characteristics such as high mobilities, semiconducting and superconducting behavior, ferromagnetism, and excellent thermal properties. Additionally, many of these materials exhibit spin and valley quantum degrees of freedom which may provide new material-enabled functions in emerging areas such as spintronics and/or valleytronics. I will review results from basic opto-electronics characterization of these materials along with a novel growth process we have developed based on the complementary growth of 2D semiconductors on, and around, bulk metal/metal-oxide patterns. This scalable process results in as-grown, naturally contacted, 2D materials-based devices. The technique has the added potential of producing self-contacted heterostructured devices as well as controllable doping of the 2D material using alloyed metallic contacts. The materials display strong luminescence, monolayer Raman signatures, and relatively large crystal domains. Since the material grows controllably around the lithographically defined patterns, complex device structures and wafer scale circuits can be envisioned.