Investigating the electronic properties of two-dimensional heterostructures with optics and magneto-optics. – ( Elena Blundo / LNCMI / Seminar). – 2/04/2026, 14H

Seminar LNCMI

Elena Blundo, Walter Schottky Institute at the Technical University of Munich

Seminar LNCMI, 2/04/2026, 14H, LNCMI,Visio

Abstract
In the so-called layered materials, the crystal layers are held together by weak van der Waals (vdW) interactions [1]. This has enabled the exfoliation of atomically-thin, two-dimensional (2D) crystals, opening the door to a burgeoning field of research. 2D materials open new opportunities for matter manipulation at the nanoscale, far beyond what conventional covalent materials allow. vdW interactions enable the creation of heterostructures with unprecedented freedom in the choice of the materials and even in their rotational alignment.

In this seminar, we will explore how assembling different vdW crystals (e.g., semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides such as MoSe2 and WSe2) gives rise to entirely new materials. The opto-electronic properties of these 2D heterostructures differ strikingly from those of their constituent materials, as interlayer interactions unlock the formation of new exciton states with distinct energy, lifetime, spin-valley selection rules, and spatial confinement, thereby affecting light absorption and emission. We will show how the system’s interaction with light—also in combination with high magnetic fields or electric fields—can be exploited to reveal the properties of these new electronic configurations [2,3].Going beyond the fundamental physics of 2D heterostructures, we will explore novel strategies to control and manipulate these electronic states, e.g. through ferroelectricity [4] or ferromagnetism,opening new pathways for precise material design and tuneable light emission.

Lien Zoom : https://univ-grenoble-alpes-fr.zoom.us/j/94228207316?pwd=khTdznxeFy1ZUYkYftQ0QSox6Fz3iK.1

References:
[1] E. Blundo, T. Yildirim, G. Pettinari, and A. Polimeni, Experimental Adhesion energy in van der Waals crystals and heterostructures from atomically-thin bubbles, Phys. Rev. Lett. 127, 046101 (2021).
[2] E. Blundo, F. Tuzi, S. Cianci, M. Cuccu, K. Olkowska-Pucko, Ł. Kipczak, G. Contestabile, A. Miriametro, M. Felici, G. Pettinari, T. Taniguchi, K. Watanabe, A. Babiński, M. R. Molas, and A. Polimeni, Localisation-to-delocalisation transition of moiré excitons in WSe2/MoSe2 heterostructures, Nat. Commun. 15, 1057 (2024).
[3] P. Soubelet, A. Delhomme, E. Blundo, A.V. Stier, and J.J. Finley, Polarons shape the interlayer exciton emission of MoSe2/WSe2 heterobilayers, Nat. Commun. 16, 8735 (2025).
[4] J. Schwandt-Krause, M. E. A. Miloudi, E. Blundo, S. Deb, J.-N. Heidkamp, K. Watanabe, T. Taniguchi, R. Schwartz, A. Stier, J. J. Finley, O. Kühn, and T. Korn, Ferroelectric Control of Interlayer Excitons in 3R-MoS2 / MoSe2 Heterostructures, Nano Lett. 26, 214 (2026).