Periodic Reporting for period 4 - Ig-QPD (Ion-gated Interfaces for Quantum Phase Devices)
Reporting period: 2019-12-01 to 2020-05-31
The main achievement of the project so far can be highlighted by the following point
1. What is the problem/issue being addressed?
Provide the technology to induced and control quantum phase using field effect. And apply these controlled quantum phases as electronic functionalities for electronic devices.
Superconductors, ferromagnetism, charge density waves are all quantum states that could enrich the functionality of electronic devices. One simple example is to fabricate a superconducting circuitry, without any energy loss or heat production. Or sending information through entangled photons. But making such devices requires transistors to control these quantum states.
2. Why is it important for society?
The project has achieved
1) Realizing the quantum phase device and publish the result in top scientific journals
2) The results have been cited and reported in several media attracting interest from the general public
3) The project has supported the research facilities to 6 Ph.D. students and two postdocs. Two Ph.D. students have graduated and two postdocs have found academic jobs after participating in the project. This project has been an important support in the training and growth of all these young scientists for their future careers.
3. What are the overall objectives?
Following the key purpose of the project is to realize the control of the quantum phase in electronic devices. The method used is to build those devices using ion-gated ‘liquid’ transistors, which make technical possibility to reach the capacitance needed to induce quantum phase such as superconductors. And it also allows us to mix different properties of quantum phase such as using a magnetic ionic liquid we can control ferromagnetism and superconductivity.
1. What is the problem/issue being addressed?
Provide the technology to induced and control quantum phase using field effect. And apply these controlled quantum phases as electronic functionalities for electronic devices.
Superconductors, ferromagnetism, charge density waves are all quantum states that could enrich the functionality of electronic devices. One simple example is to fabricate a superconducting circuitry, without any energy loss or heat production. Or sending information through entangled photons. But making such devices requires transistors to control these quantum states.
2. Why is it important for society?
The project has achieved
1) Realizing the quantum phase device and publish the result in top scientific journals
2) The results have been cited and reported in several media attracting interest from the general public
3) The project has supported the research facilities to 6 Ph.D. students and two postdocs. Two Ph.D. students have graduated and two postdocs have found academic jobs after participating in the project. This project has been an important support in the training and growth of all these young scientists for their future careers.
3. What are the overall objectives?
Following the key purpose of the project is to realize the control of the quantum phase in electronic devices. The method used is to build those devices using ion-gated ‘liquid’ transistors, which make technical possibility to reach the capacitance needed to induce quantum phase such as superconductors. And it also allows us to mix different properties of quantum phase such as using a magnetic ionic liquid we can control ferromagnetism and superconductivity.
In this ERC consolidate grant, the group of PI has worked on a broad range of 2D materials including layered superconductor, graphene, and transition metal dichalcogenides. The project has obtained the following recent highlights in 2D materials regarding the gate control of quantum states 1) discovery of metallic ground state in ZrNCl (Science 350, 409 (2015)) 2) and discovery of Ising pairing in MoS2 (Science 350, 1353 (2015)). Besides the published results, the project has also obtained the following result to be reported. 1) CVD growth of large-area monolayer transition metal dichalcogenide and realizing 1) strong Ising superconductivity and related electronic phases 2) electrically controlled quantum light emitter, and 3) formation of PN junction for electrically driven strong light emission.
Up to the moment of reporting this ERC consolidator grant, the group of PI has achieved making quantum phase device and realizing field defect control which was published in the aforementioned top scientific journal and being reported in several media. Training of new scientists and initiating a new group The funding will initiate a new group and support the scientific activities of Ph.D. students and Postdocs directly.
We are expecting that the final results will go beyond the level of goals in 5/7 of the work packages in the project since we've already reached most of the goals set in the project. We think 1/7 work packages (one section in WP1c), is no longer necessary because results from other work packages can provide sufficient understanding in optimizing the interface. The other 1/7, work package WP3c is still very challenging. Based on present progress, the group should be able to achieve 80% of the goal.
We are expecting that the final results will go beyond the level of goals in 5/7 of the work packages in the project since we've already reached most of the goals set in the project. We think 1/7 work packages (one section in WP1c), is no longer necessary because results from other work packages can provide sufficient understanding in optimizing the interface. The other 1/7, work package WP3c is still very challenging. Based on present progress, the group should be able to achieve 80% of the goal.