Susanne Stemmer of UCSB Materials

Abstract: Topological materials have attracted significant attention for applications, such as in quantum devices, photodetectors, and spintronics. This talk will begin with a brief introduction of different types of topological matter, such as Dirac semimetals and topological insulators. We discuss how different topological phases that can be engineered in high-quality, epitaxial films of cadmium arsenide (Cd3 As2 ), a prototype topological material, and how they can be identified via Landau level spectroscopy. We next focus on less-investigated aspects of thermoelectric transport phenomena in topological materials. We discuss the key role of chiral edge states in thermoelectric Hall bar measurements. We discuss potential applications, such as in nanoscale control of local temperature gradients, heat, and the rmoelectric effects along with the characterization of other topological systems with chiral edges states. We also discuss room temperature photo-thermoelectric effects and their applications for mid-infrared photodetection.

Biography:

Bio:   Dr. Susanne Stemmer is Professor of Materials at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She did her doctoral work at the Max-Planck Institute for Metals Research in Stuttgart (Germany) and received her degree from the University of Stuttgart. Her research interests include scanning transmission electron microscopy techniques, molecular beam epitaxy, and applications of topological materials. Honors include election to Fellow of the American Ceramic Society, Fellow of the American Physical Society, Fellow of the Materials Research Society, Fellow of the Microscopy Society of America, and a Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellowship of the U.S. Department of Defense:

Address:United States