Colloquium

Upcoming Colloquium

Creating Atomic Superlattices by Chemically Functionalizing Low-Dimensional Materials
Dr. Tamar Mentzel, UC Riverside

April 20, 2026
11:00am in HSCI-105

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Nanomaterials' reduced dimensionality leads to enhanced quantum effects and increased charge correlations, making them an exciting platform for exploring novel quantum phenomena with application in quantum information processing and quantum computation. Moreover, the tunability of nanomaterials holds promise for achieving quantum properties 'on demand.' Our research draws on chemical methods to functionalize the surfaces of and thereby tune low-dimensional materials. In this talk, I will present our work on two distinct systems: semiconductor nanocrystals and atomically thin, two-dimensional materials. First, I will discuss our nano-patterning technique to create a nanocrystal, or "artificial atom," superlattice that is free of structural defects and with enhanced electrical conductivity. We isolate the charge dynamics in a single conductance channel of the superlattice, providing insight into the charge transport mechanism that was dominated by disorder in prior instances of nanocrystal solids. We find indications of long-range Coulomb interactions, which are a precursor to the predicted geometric charge frustration in semiconductor nanocrystal superlattices. Second, I will present our low-temperature, chemical method for adding atom superlattices in the van der Waals gap of two-dimensional materials. This technique is flexible to a wide variety of elements at concentrations as high as 60%. I will present our progress intercalating Fe3GeTe2, Bi2Se3, and ZrTe3. The latter two are motivated by the interplay of charge density waves and superconductivity.

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