PT-Symmetric Programmable Materials

Abstract

The objective of this proposal is to study symmetry breaking in non-equilibrium heterostructures by creating programmable materials using molecular assembly. The proposed research brings together the concepts of exceptional points and parity-time (PT) symmetry and the relevant phase transitions, non-equilibrium 2D-materials and molecular assembly to investigate and enhance interactions and physical processes in heterostructures of 2D-materials. We propose to design programmable heterostructures by alternating the chemistry of individual 2D layers and controlling their interlayer spacing at the molecular scale. We will tune the chemistry of layers, and control the layer rotations and the coupling between layers to tailor the electronic, optical, thermal and chemical properties of the heterostructures. Our molecular-scale control of interlayer spacing combined with the nontrivial physics in the vicinity of exceptional points will allow to controland enhance desired physical processes and interactions (e.g., wave, heat and spin transport, optical nonlinearities, photoluminesence, ultrafast dynamics, spin-orbit interactions, etc). Precise control of interfaces could potentially lead to layered structures in which quantum effects and interactions can be excited, enhanced and probed at easily accessible experimental conditions.

Document Details

Document Type
DoD Grant Award
Publication Date
Jul 11, 2018
Source ID
FA95501810235

Entities

People

  • Şahin Kaya Özdemir

Organizations

  • Air Force Office of Scientific Research
  • Pennsylvania State University
  • United States Air Force

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Quantum Dot Semiconductor Device Photonics and Graphene Optoelectronic Materials and THz Physics.

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics
  • Microelectronics - Graphene
  • Quantum Computing
  • Space