Nature Nanotechnology - By using scanning tunnelling microscopy and spectroscopy, researchers observe layer-dependent electronic correlations in rhombohedral graphene multilayers at 77 K,...

About the project:The project focuses on achieving precise control over the atomic stacking order of van der Waals materials, specifically few-layer graphite. We exploit the natural sliding between layers, enabling the construction of artificial crystals with tailored stacking configurations. In the last few years, rhombohedral graphite has gained significant interest, as it hosts strong electronic correlations, exhibiting magnetic insulating states, spin and valley multiferroic orders, and unconventional superconductivity. Building on the group’s expertise in identifying defect-free rhombohedral graphite by electronic Raman scattering, we will combine rhombohedral and hexagonal graphite layers at small twist angles to realize all possible stacking polytypes in few-layer samples. We will then explore their electronic properties through scanning tunneling spectroscopy and low-temperature Raman measurements. This will be the first example of tailoring the defect structure of a macroscopic material at the atomic scale. By gaining full control over the stacking sequence, the project aims to uncover new correlated electron states, offering a platform for advanced quantum materials research.

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