Projects
CaloritrOnics iN magNEtiC Weyl semimeTals KU Leuven
Topological materials, including the recently discovered Dirac and Weyl semimetals (WSM), lead to a
paradigm shift in science due to their intertwinned spin and charge properties, protected against
backscattering. Overlooked up to now, energy and heat transport properties of WSM, and their coupling with
spin and charge degrees of freedom are at the center of this project. In particular, coupled properties, allowing
to ...
Unveiling the Cooling Potential of Anomalous Ettingshausen Effect in Magnetic Weyl Semimetals (Wey2Cool) KU Leuven
The aim of this PhD project is to realize the first thermoelectric cooler device exploiting the quantum properties of magnetic Weyl semimetals. To this end, the project combines the development of a deposition method to obtain ultra-high quality thin films of magnetic Weyl semimetals, in-depth characterization of their physical parameters by means of cryogenic magnetotransport and scanning probe microscopy, and implementation into real ...
Magic doping of 3D Dirac Semimetals (MagDirac) KU Leuven
A new field in condensed matter physics has emerged, dealing with new quantum states of matter originating from non-trivial topologies of the electronic band structure. Topological insulators were the first class of such materials. Dirac and Weyl semimetals are becoming the focus of the next major waive of research on topological matter. In these materials, the bulk valence band and conduction band touch at discrete points and disperse ...
Interplay between magnetism and band topology in Dirac/Weyl semimetals KU Leuven
The quantum Hall effect (QHE), in which the transverse conductance of a two-dimensional (2D) electron gas in an applied magnetic field becomes quantized to multiples of e²/h, has fascinated physicists for over forty years. In 2013, the quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE) was realized in magnetic topological insulators. The hallmark of the QAHE is its dissipationless chiral 1D state running along the edge of the quasi-2D thin film, resulting ...
Creating dielectric layers on two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors: chemical and physical mechanisms KU Leuven
Two-dimensional (2D) materials, with graphene as the most famous representative, are an interesting class of materials due to their ultra-thin body nature. inorganic 2D materials can exhibit either insulating, metallic, semi-metallic, or semiconducting properties, depending on the composition and structure. The semiconducting 2D materials like WS2 and MoS2 attract great interest for application in nano-electronic devices, in view of their ...
Dielectric Nanosheets for Scaled Two-Dimensional (2D) Material Devices KU Leuven
Two-dimensional (2D) materials, with graphene as the most studied representative, are an interesting class of materials with layered structures based on van der Waals interactions. There is a wide range of inorganic 2D materials available that, depending on their composition and structure, exhibit either insulating, metallic, semi-metallic or semiconducting properties. Especially the semiconducting 2D transition metal dichalcogenides (e.g. ...
Transfer printing of crystalline materials for flexible and stretchable electronics KU Leuven
The morphology and crystalline structure of thin WSM (Weyl semimetals) films will be studied with XRD, SEM, and TEM. Then, A method to pattern electrodes on the surface of the WSM will be developed. Since WSM are extremely sensitive to their environment, the electrodes must be patterned under a nitrogen atmosphere and avoid the use of solvents. Hence, methods such as microcontact printing or liquid metal dispensing will be explored.