What is our logo?
Our MRSEC logo shows the arrangement of atoms at the surface of a crystal. Crystals are made up of layers, or "planes" of atoms, perfectly stacked in an ordered pattern. Because this surface has been cut at a slight angle to the crystal planes, it appears "stepped" (we call this type of surface a vicinal surface). Modern scanned-probe microscopes, such as the STM, allow us to see the atoms at the surface of a crystal, producing images very similar to this one.

University of Maryland

Materials Research Science and Engineering Center

Seed 2: Synthesis and Exploration of Topological Insulators

High quality single crystals of bismuth-based topological insulator grown at the Center for Nanophysics and Advanced Materials.

Senior Investigators

• Johnpierre Paglione (leader), Physics, CNAM
• Michael Fuhrer, Physics, CNAM
• H. Dennis Drew, Physics, CNAM
• Ichiro Takeuchi, Materials Science & Engineering
• Bryan Eichhorn, Chemistry & Biochemistry

Topological insulators are a newly discovered class of materials with strong potential for impact in both fundamental science and future technologies. Differing from conventional insulators by the presence of a metallic, topologically-protected surface state that is spin-polarized, these materials offer a new avenue for technologies based on the manipulation of electron spin (rather than charge) in solids, as well as potential for other advances in high-mobility devices, spintronics and fault-tolerant quantum computation. This research program is focused on the synthesis, characterization and optimization of topological insulating materials for study by a unique interdisciplinary research team aimed at elucidating the scientific and technological potential of these materials.

Highlights

• Synthesis and Characterization of Topological Insulator Materials
• For the complete list, see the Highlights page

Publications

• View the Seed publications list