Third-party funded projects

This project focuses on developing new oxide interfaces to study two-dimensional electron and hole gases with improved spin–orbit coupling properties. It investigates (i) BaSnO₃-based 2DEGs with high room-temperature mobility and (ii) SrTiO₃- and KTaO₃-based 2DHGs. Their spin and orbital characteristics will be modeled theoretically, and samples will be grown using oxide MBE. Magnetotransport measurements will determine mobility, carrier density, and Rashba SOC strength. The project will use three-terminal devices to tune carrier density and explore superconductivity, fabricate spin-transport structures to measure spin-charge conversion, and combine electron and hole transport in a single device to demonstrate logic operation based on 2D electron and hole gases.

This proposal aims to establish novel rare-earth transition-metal (TM) nitrides and mixed TM/group-IIIa nitrides as a promising class of high-temperature thermoelectric materials for integrated nitride-device technologies.

This project aims to explore the synthesis of novel aluminium transition-metal nitride materials for the development of an integrated surface acoustic wave (SAW) - nanoelectromechanical system (NEMS) platform.

This project explores integrating ultra-wide band gap oxides (GeO₂, SrSnO₃) with silicon using nanomembrane transfer and metamorphic buffer layers. It aims to demonstrate doping strategies and device functionality, enabling applications in power electronics, environmental monitoring, and UV optoelectronics. The research addresses key material challenges, advancing semiconductor technology for energy, automotive, and sensor applications.

This project explores the use of silicon vacancy (VSi) centers in SiC for on-chip quantum memories and sensors, controlled by high-frequency surface acoustic waves (SAWs). By integrating powerful piezoelectric films on SiC, the team aims to enable efficient SAW excitation and coherent spin manipulation. Part of the HINA Doctoral Network, this research advances photonic and acoustic technology, targeting industrial applications with cutting-edge performance.

The Fabulous II project aims to uncover the mechanisms behind reduced recombination processes and the influence of dark triplet states in achieving high-performance organic solar cells with non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs) that exhibit fill factors (FFs) exceeding 80%. However, the factors that determine why certain material combinations succeed while others fail remain unclear. Developing a general design rule to address this challenge will be a significant contribution of the project.

The discovery of a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) at SrTiO₃/LaAlO₃ interfaces revolutionized oxide heterostructures, enabling spin-orbitronics. However, SrTiO₃ 2DEGs function optimally only at low temperatures, and 2D hole gases (2DHGs) remain elusive. This study explores BaSnO₃-based 2DEGs with high mobility and SrTiO₃/KTaO₃-based 2DHGs to overcome these limitations.

Within the framework of the priority program INtegrated TERahErtz sySTems Enabling Novel Functionality (INTEREST) funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), terahertz injection locking of Quantum Cascade Lasers (QCLs) with novel, modified Uni-Travelling Carrier (MUTC) photodiodes (PDs) will be developed in cooperation with Universität Duisburg-Essen (UDE, Duisburg), and the Institute of Optical Sensor Systems of the German Aerospace Center (HU/DLR, Berlin).

Within the framework of the priority program INtegrated TERahErtz sySTems Enabling Novel Functionality (INTEREST) funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), micro-integrated quantum-cascade transceivers for high-resolution spectroscopy and space applications will be developed in cooperation with the "Institute of Optical Sensor Systems" of the Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), and the Ferdinand Braun Institute (FBH), both located in Berlin.

The emergence of atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) materials and their van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures has sparked new scientific interest, offering unprecedented electronic properties for next-generation technologies. 2D magnets—the latest addition to the 2D family—have unique characteristics that make them ideal for vdW heterostructure designs. 2D magnets have the potential to revolutionize magnetic sensors and spintronic technologies, particularly tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) devices. However, reliable and tunable TMR devices pose challenges with conventional materials. The MagicTune project aims to address these challenges by controlling spin-polarized tunneling in 2D MTJs through twist angle and gate voltage control, achieving large and tunable TMR at room temperature.