Current examples of active projects are listed below
- Large Scale Synthesis of MOFs for Carbon Valorization and Water Contaminant Removal
- In collaboration with Prof. Westerhoff (Sustainability), our team is addressing the scalability challenges of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Our goal is to develop large-scale MOFs for effective carbon capture and conversion into useful organic compounds, as well as for the removal of pollutants from water.
- CHIPS Act: Manufacturing of Next-Generation Semiconductors for National Defense and Civilian Use
- This project focuses on establishing advanced manufacturing tools to produce high-performance electronic materials on scales ranging from 1 cm² to 8 inches in diameter, supporting both national defense and civilian applications.
- Pulsed Laser Deposition of High Mobility Semiconductors and Their High-Performance Device Applications
- In collaboration with Prof. Sanchez (ECE), we are developing new growth techniques for materials like BiO2Se, Sb2O2Se, Bi2SeO5, and Bi2O2Te. Starting with 1 cm² samples and expanding to 2-inch scales, we aim to create high-performance transistors using planar FET geometries.
- 2D Janus Materials: Spintronics, Excitonics, Optics, Microscopy, and Manufacturing
- Janus materials, named after the two-faced Roman god, are unique 2D materials with different atomic arrangements on their surfaces. This project focuses on their synthesis, understanding excitonic properties, investigating optically active point defects, and exploring spintronic applications in novel device geometries.
- Discovery and Engineering of Next-Generation Metal Interconnects
- As electronic devices shrink, existing copper interconnects become inefficient. This project seeks to discover new metal interconnects and develop manufacturing methods to replace copper, aiming to reduce resistivity and power consumption at scales approaching 5 nm.
- Finding Inorganic Counterparts of Chiral DNA
- Recently, van der Waals (vdW) inorganic chiral materials have garnered interest due to their unique structural, spintronic, chiral phononic, and quantum properties. This project focuses on discovering and realizing chiral materials, and using microscopy and spectroscopy to understand their behavior.
- High Pressure Materials Growth
- Utilizing state-of-the-art high pressure growth chambers, our team aims to design, engineer, and fabricate new phases of vdW and 2D materials, leading to the creation of materials previously unknown to science.
- Diamond Anvil Cell Studies
- We are investigating the behavior of cutting-edge material systems under extreme pressures using diamond anvil cells. This project explores how high pressures affect layer interactions and stabilize new phases in chiral materials, excitonic semiconductors, and quantum materials.
- Microscopy Studies in 2D and vdW Materials
- Advanced electron microscopy techniques are employed to study 2D Janus, 2D materials, and vdW crystals. We are investigating the nature and properties of defects, grain boundaries, and phase transitions, exploring new phases of matter.
- Discovery, Engineering, and Manufacturing of 2D Magnets
- Using cutting-edge microscopy and spectroscopy, we are exploring the magnetic properties of newly discovered 2D magnets. Our research aims to scale up the manufacturing of these materials for use in everyday electronics and sensing applications.