Two-dimensional (2D) materials, crystalline materials characterized by strong in-plane bonds and weak out-of-plane coupling, have been intensively studied for the better part of the past two decades. 2D materials possess many unique properties that make them interesting for a wide range of applications, from extreme-scaled MOSFETs to biological sensors. However, many of the truly revolutionary applications of 2D materials are likely yet to be discovered, given the vast number of these materials that exist and the multitude of ways they can be combined together.
In this talk, I will describe the research in the Koester NanoDevice Laboratory at the University of Minnesota and our efforts to identify the truly unique properties of 2D materials that can lead to revolutionary new applications. I will first discuss our prior work on exploiting the properties of graphene and 2D semiconductors to realize novel electronic, photonic, spintronic, and sensing devices. These efforts have already revealed numerous new applications for graphene, such as compact reads heads for hard drives, and tuning elements for beam steering antennas. I will also describe our work on 2D semiconductors, where we have demonstrated the potential of transition metal dichalcogenides for ultra-scaled dynamic memories. Finally, I will provide a forward-looking perspective on several research directions, including 2D-material phase engineering, “twistronics,” and “edgetronics,” which promise to unleash the full untapped potential of 2D materials.
Dr. Steven J. Koester is the Russell J. Penrose Professor of Nanotechnology at the University of Minnesota and Director of the Minnesota Nano Center. He received B.S.E.E. and M.S.E.E. degrees from the University of Notre Dame in 1989 and 1991, and the Ph.D. in 1995 from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
From 1997 to 2010, he was a research staff member at the IBM T. J. Watson Research Center and performed research on a wide variety of electronic and optoelectronic devices, with an emphasis on those using the Si/SiGe material system. From 2006 to 2010 he served as manager of Exploratory Technology at IBM Research where his team investigated advanced devices and integration concepts for use in future generations of microprocessor technology.
Since 2010, Dr. Koester has been a Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering at the University of Minnesota where his research focuses on novel electronic, photonic, spintronic and sensing device concepts, particularly those using 2D materials. Dr. Koester has authored or co-authored over 300 technical publications and conference presentations, 7 volumes, 4 book chapters, and holds 74 United States patents. He is a Fellow of the IEEE and Optica.