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Date:  Thu, March 05, 2020
Time:  10:00am - 11:00am
Location:  Holmes Halll 389
Speaker:  Dr. You Zhou, Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard University

Abstract:

The study of interactions between light and matter has played a central role in the development of quantum physics and underlies a range of technologies, including lasers and solar cells. Recent efforts to control light-matter interactions promise to bolster new applications, such as quantum information processing, but remain challenging due to our limited ability to tailor the properties of optical materials. 

In this talk, I will describe how recent innovations in the fabrication of two-dimensional semiconductors open up exciting avenues for controlling light-matter interactions. First, I will discuss our efforts to improve the quality of atomically thin semiconductors and to understand their fundamental optical properties. I will then show how this fundamental understanding enables the design of nanoscale electromechanical devices to modulate the light-matter coupling in 2D materials. Finally, I will demonstrate how manipulating new degrees of freedom in creating 2D heterostructures, such as the twisting, can lead to new applications in quantum optics and optoelectronics.

Bio:

Dr. You Zhou is a postdoctoral fellow in Prof. Hongkun Park’s group at Harvard University. He earned his Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Harvard in 2015, studying under Prof. Shriram Ramanathan, after receiving his bachelor’s degree in Physics from Peking University in 2010. Dr. Zhou’s research focuses on understanding the behaviors of electrons, excitons, and ions in quantum materials, such as strongly correlated oxides and 2D materials, and controlling them for applications in information and energy technologies, including optoelectronics and fuel cells.