Debye Colloquium - Quantum Materials by design

This online Debye Colloquium, Quantum Materials by design, will be given by dr. Zeila Zanolli from Debye's Condensed Matter & Interfaces research group.

Abstract

Major advances in human civilization are driven by developments in materials. This is such a remarkable feature that historical eras are named after the material (and the related technology) that dominated that time. Today we live in the silicon era: Silicon technology enables our modern way of life via mobile phones, computers, automation. However, we are reaching the limits of silicon technology, as the related energy demand is not sustainable. It is time to move forward. As a scientist, we work to answer the question: what is the material that will enable the next revolution?

In this colloquium, I will present my personal perspective to answer this general question. Using the predictive power of first-principles techniques, I will show that a possible way forward is to design new materials, exploiting the quantum effects emerging at reduced dimensionality and at interfaces. By looking at the intersection of topological materials, interfaces, and spin-based electronics, we will see that it is possible to understand and, hence, control key parameters for next-generation devices as spin injection [1], topological (dissipationless) carrier transport [2] or spin lifetime [3] in 2D layered materials.

[1] Z. Zanolli, Graphene-multiferroic interfaces for spintronics applications, Scientific Reports, 6, 31346 (2016)

[2] Z. Zanolli, C. Niu, G. Bihlmayer, Y. Mokrousov, P. Mavropoulos, M. J. Verstraete, S. Blügel, Hybrid quantum anomalous Hall effect at graphene-oxide interfaces,

Phys. Rev. B 98, 155404 (2018)

[3]  M. Ersfeld, F. Volmer, P. M. M. C. de Melo, R. de Winter, M. Heithoff, Z. Zanolli, Ch. Stampfer, M. J. Verstraete, B. Beschoten, Spin States Protected from Intrinsic Electron-Phonon-Coupling Reaching 100 ns Lifetime at Room Temperature in MoSe2, Nano Lett. 19 (2019) 4083