Research

Quantum Materials Synthesis: Design and Discovery

Michigan has extensive expertise in atom-scale synthesis and structural and chemical characterization of quantum materials.  Our expertise ranges from bulk to thin films to nanostructures and spans vastly different chemistries.   The Michigan team has a long history of design-to-order quantum materials, including high mobility III-V quantum structures, III-N quantum-dots-in-nanowires for single photon emission, organic semiconductors, bulk ferromagnetic semiconductors, multiferroic heterostructures, and 2D materials.  Our discoveries in surface reconstruction-driven doping and solute incorporation have generated novel topological materials by design, including tetradymite and bismuthide semiconductors. 

Building upon Michigan’s excellence in materials synthesis and characterization, we are prepared to meet the challenges for the next generation of quantum materials and technologies: coherent control of wave-function amplitudes and phases.  In conjunction with computational and statistical expertise, Michigan is ideally positioned to lead the accelerated design and discovery of quantum phenomena, including enhanced electron correlations and/or spin-orbit coupling, especially in semiconductors that are easily integrated with functional materials for quantum device applications. The Michigan team is leveraging its expertise and leadership in epitaxy to stabilize metastable phases with novel symmetries and ground states and designing artificial interfaces to break critical symmetries to promote interactions that lead to emergent quantum phenomena.  In all cases, the Michigan facilities and expertise in nanoscale structural and chemical characterization will enable detailed feedback and optimization of the next generation of quantum materials.

ECE Faculty

Affiliated Faculty