Monash: Growth and Characterization of 2D Topological Materials

Supervisors: Mark Edmonds and Prof Michael Fuhrer.

Topological materials, such as topological insulators and topological Dirac semimetals, are a new class of matter that possess new and exciting electronic properties, allowing a wide range of new physics to be explored including Majorana fermions and the Chiral anomaly to creating revolutionary new electronic devices that have the potential to transport charge through one-dimensional edge modes without dissipation. In this project we will grow new two-dimensional topological materials via molecular beam epitaxy. The properties of these materials will be studied using a combination of angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (ARPES) and low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). This will involve studying with atomic precision the electronic structure at edges and defects with low-temperature STM at Monash University, as well as utilizing synchrotron radiation at the Australian Synchrotron to study the electronic bandstructure using ARPES.

Contact: Dr Mark Edmonds at mark.edmonds@monash.edu or Prof. Michael Fuhrer at michael.fuhrer@monash.edu.