Research

The questions that drive our research are surprisingly simple: How do electrons organize themselves when subjected to strong Coulomb interactions? How can we detect and understand the patterns that emerge from these interactions within two dimensional confinements? And how are these patterns connected to properties of low-temperature quantum phenomena such as superconductivity and magnetism?

Our research examines electrons confined to two-dimensional materials and van der Waals heterostructures, with a particular focus on graphene allotropes. Although these systems are all constructed from atomically thin sheets of carbon, their electronic properties can vary dramatically depending on stacking sequence, twist angle, layer number, and device architecture. This remarkable tunability allows us to engineer quantum materials with tailored electronic structures and interactions. Small changes in how the layers are assembled can completely transform the electronic landscape, creating an exceptionally rich platform for investigating how strongly interacting electrons organize themselves into new quantum phases.

Our primary experimental tool is quantum transport. By measuring how electrical current flows through a material, we gain insight into the underlying organization of electrons. The power of transport measurements is greatly enhanced by the flexibility of two-dimensional materials and van der Waals heterostructures. Because these systems can be assembled into custom geometries and architectures, the measurement itself can be tailored to probe specific aspects of electronic order. For example, angle-resolved transport in a disk-shaped device provides a powerful probe of spontaneous rotational symmetry breaking and electronic nematicity, while counterflow measurements in bilayer structures can directly reveal excitonic transport and interlayer coherence. By combining the ability to engineer both materials and measurements, we gain access to information that would otherwise remain hidden, enabling a deeper understanding of the quantum phases that emerge from strong Coulomb interactions.