Atomically Thin Photodetectors: the Ideal Semi-Metal vs. the Insurmountable Insulator

Promotional image for talk: Elements of a successful scientific talk

Speaker(s): Nathaniel Gabor

Graphene, an atomically thin sheet of hexagonally oriented carbon, is a zero-band-gap conductor (semi-metal) that exhibits extraordinary electronic behavior and broadband optical absorption. Hexagonal boron nitride, which shares a similar structure to that of graphene, is a highly insulating electronic material that does not absorb any light in the visible spectrum. By combining graphene and boron nitride into ultrathin vertical stacks, we can fabricate new optoelectronic devices that demonstrate highly sensitive optical response, yet are only as thick as the width of a DNA molecule. In this talk, I will discuss how stacking these atomically thin materials allows us to explore new types of optoelectronic devices that may ultimately lead to more efficient light energy harvesting technologies.

Colloquium

Junior and senior physics majors attend our biweekly colloquium series, held on Tuesday afternoons at 4:30 p.m. in Shanahan B460. The talks are open to all students and to the public, and are frequently attended by scientists from the other Claremont Colleges, Cal Poly Pomona, and others. The series features speakers from a broad range of institutions and fields of physics.