Research

In our lab, we study the electronic and optical properties of novel atomically thin materials. Often novel physical phenomena arise when the dimensionality is reduced. For example, electrons in two-dimensions can exhibit a fractional charge. Using light as the main tool, we perform experiments to investigate the physics of low-dimensional materials with a goal towards control and manipulation of charge carriers and their internal degrees of freedom such as charge, spin and pseudo- spin. Some of the techniques used in our lab are nanoscale fabrication, magneto- optical spectroscopy, photon correlations, and electrical transport.

A closely related theme is to understand the role of geometry and topology in solid- state using light-matter interactions. A non-trivial geometry of electronic bands (wave-functions) in a solid can result in effective electromagnetic fields in the reciprocal space.

Can we use light to tune such fields?

Is it possible to induce non- trivial geometry and topological states of light/matter using light-matter interactions?

Our research hopes to address these questions.