Highlights
Tiny symmetry-broken antennas patterned on graphene can turn ultrafast pulses of light into directional electrical currents at nanometer length scales. These optoelectronic metasurfaces can shape charge flow, terahertz light emission, and information pathways with extraordinary spatial and temporal precision.
In the QMM Lab, we push state of the art electron beam lithography techniques to their limit to achieve high-quality matersurface resonances, well-defined symmetries, and superlattice structure down at the natural scale of electron coherence (left image: nanohole and nanostructure arrays, pitch between 300-500 nm and minimum feature sizes below 20 nm). Sometimes we demand too much, and the materials curl up under the stress (right image).
Terahertz bursts emitted after laser pulse excitation can reveal hidden symmetries, charge motion, and collective dynamics in quantum materials. We utilize terahertz emission and transmission spectroscopies as a powerful way to observe these dynamics on sub-picosecond timescales.
By applying metasurfaces with three-fold rotational symmetry, we achieve the first direct visualization of intrinsic device field lines. This represents a new capability for space-, time-, and angle-resolved transport mapping of 2D materials. (Flow lines are actual data measured on a graphene Hall bar device.)
About the group
Designing quantum matter at the nanoscale
Welcome to the Quantum Meta-Matter Laboratory! We use precision nano- and meta-fabrication to tune the fundamental symmetries, electronic properties, quantum phases, and ultrafast responses of quantum matter. By combining designer architectures with optical, terahertz, and nanoscale probes, we aim to uncover new ways of controlling collective behavior in materials and to build platforms where geometry, symmetry, and light become knobs for discovery.
Research snapshots
Cavity physics
Quantum materials strongly dressed by cavity-amplified optical and terahertz light exhibit new transient properties and phases.
Designer superlattices
High-precision superlattice engineering on the scale of electron coherence, toward designer correlated and topological phases.
High-precision nanofabrication
Lithographic patterning of materials and metasurfaces with < 10 nm feature sizes.
Autonomous Transient Optical Microscopy (ATOM)
A versatile new ultrafast optical microscopy platform for AI-driven science!
THz spectroscopy suite
Versatile spectroscopy suite for probing the low-energy electrodynamics of quantum materials.
Nano-acoustic symmetry engineering
Dynamically tuning atomic lattice symmetry via acoustic vibrational modes of the nanoscale structure.
Vectorial nanocurrents
Symmetry-broken metasurfaces define local the directionality of local ultrafast responses.
Topological light
Vectorial light-matter responses emit light modes with nontrivial topology, including toroidal "flying doughnuts".
Cavity physics
Quantum materials strongly dressed by cavity-amplified optical and terahertz light exhibit new transient properties and phases.
Designer superlattices
High-precision superlattice engineering on the scale of electron coherence, toward designer correlated and topological phases.
High-precision nanofabrication
Lithographic patterning of materials and metasurfaces with < 10 nm feature sizes.
Autonomous Transient Optical Microscopy (ATOM)
A versatile new ultrafast optical microscopy platform for AI-driven science!
THz spectroscopy suite
Versatile spectroscopy suite for probing the low-energy electrodynamics of quantum materials.
Nano-acoustic symmetry engineering
Dynamically tuning atomic lattice symmetry via acoustic vibrational modes of the nanoscale structure.
Vectorial nanocurrents
Symmetry-broken metasurfaces define local the directionality of local ultrafast responses.
Topological light
Vectorial light-matter responses emit light modes with nontrivial topology, including toroidal "flying doughnuts".
Cavity physics
Quantum materials strongly dressed by cavity-amplified optical and terahertz light exhibit new transient properties and phases.
Designer superlattices
High-precision superlattice engineering on the scale of electron coherence, toward designer correlated and topological phases.
High-precision nanofabrication
Lithographic patterning of materials and metasurfaces with < 10 nm feature sizes.
Autonomous Transient Optical Microscopy (ATOM)
A versatile new ultrafast optical microscopy platform for AI-driven science!
THz spectroscopy suite
Versatile spectroscopy suite for probing the low-energy electrodynamics of quantum materials.
Nano-acoustic symmetry engineering
Dynamically tuning atomic lattice symmetry via acoustic vibrational modes of the nanoscale structure.
Vectorial nanocurrents
Symmetry-broken metasurfaces define local the directionality of local ultrafast responses.
Topological light
Vectorial light-matter responses emit light modes with nontrivial topology, including toroidal "flying doughnuts".