Congratulations Nikhil Medhekar

Congratulations to FLEET CI Nikhil Medhekar at Monash University, who has been promoted to full Professor of  Materials Science and Engineering. Nikhil’s Computational Materials Lab at Monash University Faculty of Engineering Department of Materials Science and Engineering investigates the physics and mechanics of nanoscale materials for optoelectronic, energy and structural applications using a broad range of computational tools, including: First principles …

National Science Quiz

Over 200 in-person audience members and more than 400 online contestants competed in this month’s National Science Quiz, co-presented by FLEET with a collaboration of nine research organisations. Return host ABC TV and radio presenter Charlie Pickering, who has hosted each NSQ since the inaugural edition in 2017, chaired two competing teams, comprising: Astrophysicist Kirsten Banks (UNSW) Meteorologist Nate Byrne …

Manipulating interlayer magnetic coupling in van der Waals heterostructures

Electrical control of exchange bias effect in FePS3-Fe5GeTe2 van der Waals heterostructures via proton intercalations A RMIT-led international collaboration published this week has observed, for the first time, electric gate-controlled exchange-bias effect in van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures, offering a promising platform for future energy-efficient, beyond-CMOS electronics. The exchange-bias (EB) effect, which originates from interlayer magnetic coupling, has played a …

ECR working group deliver at FLEET 2022

FLEET early career researchers and students are taking charge of their professional training and development. For the 2022 FLEET Annual Workshop this month in Wollongong, the working group delivered a range of research development training sessions and created opportunities for their peers to think about future career prospects. FLEET2022 ECR development delivered following the Centre’s three-day annual workshop included: The …

inSTEM conference: towards a more diverse science community

The inSTEM conference held in Brisbane 20-21 July, was a networking and career-development conference for people from marginalised or underrepresented groups in STEM, and their allies. The 2022 inSTEM was a partnership of ARC Centres of Excellence, industry transformation training centre and Australian Defence, recognising the wide recognition of improving diversity to research organisations in Australia. “I felt empowered by …

The hetero-interface is the device: a computational approach

Designing hetero-interfaces towards new optoelectronic functionalities using large-scale computations Assembling ‘Lego-like’ 2D ‘heterostructures’ can give rise to emergent properties and functionalities very different from the intrinsic characteristics of the constituents. Density functional theory (DFT)-based band-structure calculations can shed light on interfacial properties of different heterostructures. Interface properties of 2D perovskite/TMD heterostructures Heterostructures based on different 2D materials have resulted in …

Brilliant alternative uses for diamond showcased in concept jewellery

QUT/FLEET researcher A/Prof Dongchen Qi has joined forces with an Australian jewellery designer to showcase the brilliance of diamond in medical, scientific, and other applications. Diamond does not naturally conduct electricity, but Professor Qi, from the QUT Centre of Material Science, led research to make it both conductive and controllable as a high-capacity semiconductor. Semiconductors conduct or insulate electrical signals …

FLEET’s engagement with rural schools continues

Following on from FLEET’s previous trip to the western districts in May, Centre outreach coordinator Jason Major and COO Tich-Lam Nguyen visited Horsham College north of the Grampians to engage year 7 students and pilot-test FLEET’s Forces and Energy workshop. The budding scientists (all 170 of them) built catapults and balloon rockets to explore Newton’s 2nd and 3rd laws and …

Topological superconductors: fertile ground for elusive Majorana particle

Majorana fermions promise information technology with zero resistance A new, multi-node FLEET review investigates the search for Majorana fermions in iron-based superconductors. The elusive Majorana fermion, or ‘angel particle’ proposed by Ettore Majorana in 1937, simultaneously behaves like a particle and an antiparticle – and surprisingly remains stable rather than being self-destructive. Majorana fermions promise information and communications technology with …

Liquid platinum at room temperature: The ‘cool’ catalyst for a sustainable revolution in industrial chemistry

In an Exciton Science/FLEET study, researchers have been able to use trace amounts of liquid platinum to create cheap and highly efficient chemical reactions at low temperatures, opening a pathway to dramatic emissions reductions in crucial industries. When combined with liquid gallium, the amounts of platinum required are small enough to significantly extend the earth’s reserves of this valuable metal, …

A local trifecta of semiconductor physics in June/July

Semiconductor physics conference, satellite symposium and FLEET workshop It is a wonderful opportunity for Australia’s semiconductor physics community, as Sydney hosts the International Conference on the Physics of Semiconductors (ICPS22, 27-30 June), the premier forum for new semiconductor physics. Nobel Laureates Prof Klaus von Klitzing (Quantum Hall Effect) and Prof Kostya Novoselov (graphene) join an impressive array of 60 international …

Postcard from Singapore: Life post-FLEET with Centre alumni Elizabeth Marcellina

Keep discovering and rediscovering yourself Be open to new research and life directions Hi, I am Elizabeth Marcellina, and I was previously a FLEET PhD student and then Research Fellow at UNSW with Prof Alex Hamilton and A/Prof Dimitrie Culcer. My general research directions within FLEET were to harness spin-orbit interactions in semiconductors for spintronics and spin-orbit qubits. To be …

2D materials workshop skilling up future Australian scientists

Nobel-winning material science in the classroom Gol Akhgar and Julie Karel (Monash) this month demonstrated graphene exfoliation with scotch-tape in the class, explaining the role of 2D materials in future beyond-CMOS electronics. The lesson is part of FLEET’s ongoing year-10 future electronics unit at John Monash Science School, which builds up from atomic/quantum fundamentals to transistor functions, logic circuits and …

Melbourne Knowledge Week 2022

Over the course of Melbourne Knowledge Week last week FLEET volunteers engaged with around 300 visiting members of the public, talking about FLEET’s mission to ensure a sustainable future for computing, with some fun props to demonstrate electromagnetic forces and the role of quantum materials such as superconductors. The bright yellow sustainable computers stall at the new MKW festival hub …

New code of conduct

One of the key aims of FLEET is to foster a respectful and supportive workplace that is equitable, inclusive and free from any form of harassment or discrimination. To provide a clear statement of the Centre’s expectations of its members in respect of their professional and personal conduct we have formulated a code of conduct, which can be found online …

Science Meets Parliament 2022

FLEET had a bumper crop of seven researchers at STA’s annual Science Meets Parliament (February 2022). Participants heard from some of Australia’s top scientists and science/technology policymakers, as well as connecting with other ECRs. FLEET’s seven ECR delegates—Yik Kheng (RMIT), Mohannad Mayyas (UNSW), Hong Liu (Monash), Krittika Kumar (UNSW), Matt Gebert (Monash), Peggy Schoenherr (UNSW) and Bernard Field (Monash)—were introduced …

Making a ‘sandwich’ out of magnets and topological insulators, potential for lossless electronics

Designer heterostructure is a potential high-temperature QAHE, where a topological material is sandwiched between two ferromagnets A Monash University-led research team has discovered that a structure comprising an ultra-thin topological insulator sandwiched between two 2D ferromagnetic insulators becomes a large-bandgap quantum anomalous Hall insulator. Such a heterostructure provides an avenue towards viable ultra-low energy future electronics, or even topological photovoltaics. …

FLEET Statement on Ukraine

FLEET is an international research institution that is committed to fostering a fair, equitable, and just environment in which to conduct research worldwide. The principles of self-determination, national sovereignty, and peaceful relations among nations are the basic foundation that supports these values. FLEET, therefore, stands in solidarity with its participating universities, the Australian government, and learned societies around the world, …

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Matthias Wurdack off to Lindau Nobel meeting

FLEET’s research fellow Matthias Wurdack has been chosen to represent Australia at the annual Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting this year. Matthias will be among six early-career Australian scientists attending the 71th Meeting of Nobel Laureates in Lindau, Germany, 26 June – 1 July 2022. The 71th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting will be dedicated to chemistry, expected to be attended by around …

Translating research discoveries: introducing FTP

“Inventions and new products come from combining novel and existing technologies” (Joseph Schumpter) What is ‘translation’ anyway? And what are the benefits for me / my work? Does this apply to my work? Will industry be interested in what I’m doing? (Spoiler: Yes it does! Matt Davis explains quantum weighbridges) How can FLEET help me do this? A FLEET audience …

Together we’re stronger: developing a new layered material for future electronics

A new RMIT-led study stacks two different types of 2D materials together to create a hybrid material providing enhanced properties. This hybrid material possesses valuable properties towards use in future memory and electronic devices such as TVs, computers and phones. Most significantly, the electronic properties of the new stacked structure can be controlled without the need for external strain, opening …

Reaching academic heights in Europe: catching up with FLEET alum Pavel Kolesnichenko

Ex FLEET/Swinburne PhD student Now senior postdoctoral scientist at Heidelberg University (Germany) Hello FLEETers! I am Pavel. I completed my Ph.D. at FLEET, working with Prof. Jeffrey Davis at Swinburne University of Technology (Centre for Quantum and Optical Science). Actually, if your own work at FLEET includes optical characterisation of 2D semiconductors, you might even be using something I built! …

FLEET science at the March meeting

A number of FLEET members and affiliates are attending APS March Meeting this week, online or in person. Here’s a list of talks to check out (if you have registered for the conference, catch-up links are provided on each page). Monday 14/3 Yonatan Ashlea AlavaIn situ epitaxial aluminium gates in ultra-shallow GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs heterostructures for low noise quantum point contacts Feixiang …

What’s next after graduation? UNSW careers panel

Post-grad job hunting, perfecting the resume, and how to handle pre-interview nerves An expert panel ran through issues of importance to PhD and Masters graduates at UNSW this month, answering the questions at top of mind for ECRs towards the end of study, as they prepare to start looking for graduate positions for the first time. The event was organised …

International Women’s Day bias breaker: Golrokh Akhgar

Golrokh Akhgar is a Scientific Associate Investigator with FLEET and based at Monash University. She studies the magnetic properties of materials to work out they can store energy more efficiently. Golrokh explains that she was always fascinated with mathematics growing up. “I chose this field because I enjoy solving problems and finding solutions using numbers.” Golrokh too has witnessed bias ...

A zigzag blueprint for topological electronics

A collaborative study led by the University of Wollongong confirms switching mechanism for a new, proposed generation of ultra-low energy ‘topological electronics’. Based on novel quantum topological materials, such devices would ‘switch’ a topological insulator from non-conducting (conventional electrical insulator) to a conducting (topological insulator) state, whereby electrical current could flow along its edge states without wasted dissipation of energy. …

Jesper Levinsen outstanding referee

Congratulations to FLEET’s Jesper Levinsen, whose exceptional work as referee of peer-reviewed papers has been recognised by the Outstanding Referee Awards, one of only three in Australia in 2022, by the American Physical Society (APS). The APS recognises around 150 outstanding referees each year who have demonstrated exceptional work in the assessment of manuscripts submitted to the Physical Review journals. …

International Women’s Day bias breaker: Peggy Schoenherr

Peggy Schoenherr is a FLEET Postdoctoral Fellow based at the School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales, where she studies the magnetic, electric and mechanical properties of materials at the nanoscale and how they could be used to develop efficient and low-energy electronics. Peggy found attitudes towards young girls excelling at science were very different to ...

From spectroscopy to crime fighting: FLEET alum Dr Shilpa Sanwlani

Ex FLEET/Swinburne Research Fellow, now financial crime management at ANZ Bank Applying skills learned in physics to combatting financial crime Hi FLEET, I’m Shilpa Sanwlani. At FLEET, I was Research Fellow with Prof. Jeff Davis in Swinburne University of Technology for 1.5 years (2017-2018), using coherent multi-dimensional spectroscopy (CMDS) to investigate novel Floquet states of 2D electron gas systems and …

International Women’s Day bias breaker: Patjaree Aukarasereenont

Patjaree Aukarasereenont is a FLEET PhD student at our RMIT node. Her research investigates the synthesis of novel 2D materials (materials just one to a few atoms thick) to develop low-energy logic devices used in computer chips. The RMIT research team that Patjaree is a part of strives to provide material solutions to big societal challenges such as energy, pollution ...

International Women’s Day bias breaker: Maedehsadat Mousavi

Maedehsadat (Maede) Mousavi is a FLEET PhD student in chemical engineering and material science at the University of New South Wales. Her research investigates the synthesis and application of liquid metals and topological insulators, which are a new class of materials that are insulators on their interior, but will conduct electrical current on their edges without the loss of energy. ...

Bonding exercise: quantifying biexciton binding energy

Two-quantum multidimensional coherent spectroscopy (2Q-MDCS) quantifies precise biexciton binding energy Applications in future devices based on biexcitons in TMDCs A rare spectroscopy technique performed at Swinburne University of Technology directly quantifies the energy required to bind two excitons together, providing for the first time a direct measurement of the biexciton binding energy in WS2. As well as improving our fundamental …

Summer students studying quantum devices at UNSW

A group of Sydney Quantum undergraduates have recently finished a summer term with Alex Hamilton’s QED group at UNSW, gaining practical experience with quantum devices as they worked alongside FLEET and QED researchers. Over the course of their six-week placement, students pursued individual projects, developing skills in device fabrication and experimental process. The UNSW Physics Quantum Electronic Devices group investigates …

Superfluids provide new insight into turbulence

First published at EQUS: the ARC Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems Eddies in an exotic liquid known as a superfluid merge to form large vortices, analogous to how cyclones form in the turbulent atmosphere. The new research, by a team from The University of Queensland, EQUS and FLEET will be important for emerging technological applications of superfluidity, such …

Liquid metals, surface patterns, and the Romance of the Three Kingdoms

“The long divided, must unite; long united, must divide. Thus it has ever been.” The opening lines of the great Chinese historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms condense its complex and spectacular stories into a coherent pattern, that is, power blocs divide and unite cyclically in turbulent battle years. A good philosophy or theorem has general implications. Now, published …

Beyond scifi: Manipulating liquid metals without contact

In a landmark discovery, FLEET University of Wollongong (UOW) researchers have realised the non-contact manipulation of liquid metal. The metals can be controlled to move in any direction, and manipulated into unique, levitated shapes such as loops and squares by using a small voltage and a magnet. The liquid metal used is galinstan, an alloy of gallium, indium and tin, …

Top FLEET hits online in 2021

What FLEET content has caught the attention of the digital world in 2021? FLEET’s digital presence spans a handful of social media platforms, the FLEET research blog, and posts on external sites such as Phys.org, Eurekalert, Science Daily, Nanowerk, Materials Australia, New Electronics, Semiconductor Digest and AZO Materials. Top hits in 2021 included: • YouTube Wolfgang Ketterle FLEET talk on …

Where are they now? FLEET alum Carlos Kuhn

Solving complex problems, data analysis to aid decision-making, and outreach: from cold-atoms research to defence industry consultancy Hi former colleagues from FLEET! I’m Carlos Kuhn. At FLEET, I was a post-doctoral research fellow under the supervision of Prof. Chris Vale at the Centre for Quantum and Optical Science at Swinburne University of Technology, where we investigated non-equilibrium and topological phenomena …

Where are they now? Life post-FLEET: Dr Jesse A. Vaitkus

Job hunting, working in industry, and staying focused on the path forward Hi FLEET, I’m Jesse Vaitkus. I was a PhD student under Prof. Jared H. Cole working on novel transport problems using the Non-Equilibrium Green’s Function (NEGF) method. After graduating I worked on similar problems for him until I left to begin my current job at HQS Quantum Simulations. …

Trapping vortices in thin superfluid films

Physicists at the University of Queensland have shed light upon how tiny whirlpools (vortices) get stuck to obstacles in superfluids. Superfluids are a quantum substance that can flow without viscosity and hence do not slow down due to friction. A second defining feature of superfluids is that they only support quantised rotation – the vortices can only spin with strength …

FLEET2021: online, virtual and in-person

FLEET’s annual workshop is our big opportunity each year to gather together and share research outcomes and progress. FLEET2021 was a ‘hybrid’ affair – with talks and poster online and catch-ups in person, where possible – and was a welcome opportunity to celebrate survival of an difficult year, motivate each other with short research updates and highlights, and catch up …

Negative capacitance in topological transistors could reduce computing’s unsustainable energy load

Australian researchers have discovered that negative capacitance could lower the energy used in electronics and computing, which represents 8% of global electricity demand. The researchers at four universities within the ARC Centre of Excellence in Future Low-Energy Electronics Technologies (FLEET) applied negative capacitance to make topological transistors switch at lower voltage, potentially reducing energy losses by a factor of ten …

Idea Factory 2021

The 2021 Idea Factory challenged 36 early career researchers to write more effective grant applications, and learn to effectively communicate the value of their research to varied audiences. The workshop concentrated on developing researchers’ ability to pitch their research – and get funded, primarily: improving grant writing skills and confidence, customising grants for different funding bodies distilling key messages about …

Congratulations Bao Yue

Congratulations to FLEET Research Fellow Bao Yue Zhang, who received the prestigious 2021 RMIT Vice-Chancellor’s Prize for Research Excellence-HDR, recognised for outstanding research and contributions to novel sensing materials and applications in early cancer diagnosis. “Thanks to my supervisor- Jian Zhen Ou, my current & past mentors…… all my lovely team members, family, friends…..(Sorry I could not name you all) …

Probing quantum gases with spectroscopy (Nature review)

December’s edition of Nature Physics is dedicated to ultracold quantum technologies, including a review of spectroscopic probes of quantum gases by FLEET’s Chris Vale (Swinburne), with MIT’s Martin Zwierlein. Ultracold gases are a laboratory for precision, many-body physics – delivering a wealth of insights into collective quantum phenomena, with direct implications for nuclear and condensed-matter physics. Spectroscopic techniques can probe …

Losing isn’t always bad: gaining topology from loss

Generating topology from loss in hybrid light-matter particles Observation of new non-Hermitian topological invariant in exciton-polariton system Losing particles can lead to positive, robust effects. An international collaboration has demonstrated a novel topology arising from losses in hybrid light-matter particles, introducing a new avenue to induce the highly-prized effects inherent to conventional topological materials, which can potentially revolutionise electronics. Led …

Presenting a feast of FLEET science

There will be a feast of FLEET science in show at the Australian Institute of Physics Summer Meeting (this coming week, 6–9 December) at QUT in Brisbane, with parallel online delivery. The summer meeting will see plenary and keynote talks by FLEET’s Michael Fuhrer, Dimi Culcer and Kirrily Rule, with over 30 presentations by Centre members across six universities. FLEET …

Congratulations

FLEET Chief Investigator Prof Kourosh Kalantar-zadeh has been named in the top 1% by citations in his field (cross field) for the fourth year running. Read more. Congratulations also to FLEET AI Torben Daeneke, whose appointment to Associate Professor at RMIT has just been announced. And to UOW’s Zengji Yue who had been appointed an Associate Investigator within FLEET. FLEET AI Sumeet …

Students confirm benefits of FLEET future-computing unit

Surveying and student interviews confirms success of future computing unit in encouraging girls/other students in physics  Over the last three years FLEET has helped put ninety Year 10 students through a ‘Future electronics’ unit, in partnership with John Monash Science School (JMSS). As well as covering semiconductors, Moore’s Law and computing, the course introduces quantum physics at an intuitive level …

Kourosh Kalantar-zadeh top 1%

FLEET Chief Investigator Prof Kourosh Kalantar-zadeh has been named in the top 1% by citations in his field (cross field) for the fourth year running. The Clarivate Analytics list identifies the most influential researchers by citations. The citation identifies influential researchers as determined by their peers around the globe – those who have consistently won recognition in the form of …

No more moving parts: Liquid metal enabled chemical reactors

Liquid-metal machines could wipe out maintenance issues for continuous flow reactors. Metals that are liquid at room temperature, such as gallium and its alloys, are attractive materials due to their unique electrical, thermal and fluidic properties. In a study published today, a research team led by UNSW, Sydney has shown that liquid metals can offer their characteristics to the pharmaceutical and chemical …

Having your cake and eating it too: double-dosing induces magnetism while strengthening electron quantum oscillations in a topological insulator

Harnessing massive Dirac fermions in dual-magnetic-ion-doped Bi2Se3 topological insulator showing extremely strong quantum oscillations in the bulk. Double doping induces a gap for the topological surface state. A University of Wollongong-led team across three FLEET nodes has combined two traditional semiconductor doping methods to achieve new efficiencies in the topological insulator bismuth-selenide (Bi2Se3), Two doping elements were used: samarium (Sm) …

Welcoming Simon Granville (MacDiarmid) new FLEET Partner Investigator

Welcome to FLEET’s long-time collaborator Dr Simon Granville, who this month joins the Centre as a Partner Investigator. Simon is a Principal Investigator at FLEET’s partner organisation the MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, where he leads the Institute’s Future Computing project to control electron transport and spin through superconductivity and topology. As a Senior Scientist at the Robinson …

World record broken for thinnest X-ray detector ever created

Highly sensitive and with a rapid response time, the new X-ray detector is less than 10 nanometres thick and could potentially lead to real-time imaging of cellular biology. Exciton Science and FLEET researchers have used tin mono-sulfide (SnS) nanosheets to create the thinnest X-ray detector ever made, potentially enabling real-time imaging of cellular biology. X-ray detectors are tools that allow …

Quantifying spin in WTe2 for future spintronics

Spin-momentum locking induced anisotropic magnetoresistance in monolayer WTe2 Determining spin quantization axis, an essential element for fabricating spintronic devices, in 2D topological insulator WTe2 by measuring anisotropic magnetoresistance A RMIT-led, international collaboration published this week has observed large in-plane anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) in a quantum spin Hall insulator and the spin quantization axis of the edge states can be well-defined. …

New diversity fellowships at FLEET

Diverse teams do better science. To maximise the effectiveness of our research team, and to improve diversity in Australian science, FLEET has added a new Diversity category to existing Women in FLEET fellowships, opening them up to a wider range of applicants from underrepresented groups in Australian STEM. Diversity in FLEET Fellowships are open to individuals from any group that …

Ask a physicist

–Are hover boards real? –What’s lightning? –Can we time travel? –Can I predict where a rainbow will form? –What is electricity, and who were the first electricians? Introducing FLEET’s new “Ask a physicist” page, where we’re encouraging schoolkids, parents and others to ask their hardest, most-baffling questions and we’ll answer them (or, we’ll find a FLEET member who can). We’d …

Women in Leadership: four new scholarships

“FLEET’s strategic priorities include developing the next generation of science leaders, and fostering equity and diversity in STEM,” says FLEET Equity and Diversity Chair, Prof Jeff Davis. “Career and leadership support for women in FLEET works towards achieving both of these goals.” “FLEET will provide an environment for our early-career women to thrive and progress, growing into capable and confident …

New physics prize honours Shaun Johnstone

A new Monash award honours the memory of FLEET’s Shaun Johnstone, who passed away in December 2019. The Shaun Johnstone Prize will be awarded for the best paper written by a PhD student in experimental physics or astronomy published in the past year. Shaun passed away from cancer not too long after receiving his PhD in experimental physics from Monash …

Resources to build professional skills, for PhDs and others

Developing transferable skills is vital for scientists at all career stages, but most particularly for PhDs and early-career researchers, to maximise their options inside and outside of academia. A team from across FLEET started the following list of resources, which are available for scientists to improve their skills… Thanks to Gol Akhgar and Semonti Bhattacharyya (Monash) Matthias Wurdack (ANU) and …

Cheering on FLEET’s Mitko Oldfield in the International Visualise Your Thesis

FLEET’s Mitko Oldfield is competing in the International Visualise Your Thesis competition. Today (14 October) at 4:30pm (AEDST) they announce the winners and you can watch the event online. Mitko won the Monash University Visualise your thesis competition last month and is now competing against finalists from 25 participating universities around the world. The Visualise Your Thesis competition provides an ...

Stress can be good for you: enhancing piezoelectric properties under pressure

Innovative epitaxy technique creates a new phase of the popular multiferroic BiFeO3 Stress enhances the properties of a promising material for future technologies. UNSW researchers find a new exotic state of one of the most promising multiferroic materials, with exciting implications for future technologies using these enhanced properties. Combining a careful balance of thin-film strain, distortion, and thickness, the team …

Sandwich-style construction: towards ultra-low-energy exciton electronics

New microcavity construction technique allows observation of robust, room-temperature exciton transport Polariton performance optimised by maximising photon-exciton energy exchange, minimizing the damage to monolayer A new ‘sandwich-style’ fabrication process placing a semiconductor only one atom thin between two mirrors has allowed Australian researchers to make a significant step towards ultra-low energy electronics based on the light-matter hybrid particles exciton-polaritons. The …

Ultra-short or infinitely long: it all looks the same

Driven states in WS2 monolayers unable to discriminate between ultrashort pulses of light and an infinite, continuous drive Ultrashort pulses of light can adiabatically drive transitions to new Floquet phases of matter Ultrashort pulses of light are proven indistinguishable from continuous illumination, in terms of controlling the electronic states of atomically-thin material tungsten disulfide (WS2). A new, Swinburne-led study proves …

Elements in liquid metals compete to win the surface

Some alloys are in the liquid state at or near room temperature. These alloys are usually composed of gallium and indium (elements used in low energy lamps), tin and bismuth (materials used in constructions). The ratio and nature of elements in liquid alloys generate extraordinary phenomena on the surface of liquid metals which have been rarely explored to date and …

Diversity in FLEET Fellowships

Application deadline extended till 3 Dec 2021 The ARC Centre of Excellence in Future Low-Energy Electronics Technologies (FLEET) is seeking to appoint up to four outstanding early-career candidates as Research Fellows to perform research at relevant FLEET node/s as determined by the candidates’ expertise and research aspirations. The appointment is for up to two years (at a full-time load), with part-time …

Women in FLEET Fellowships

Application deadline extended till 3 Dec 2021 The ARC Centre of Excellence in Future Low-Energy Electronics Technologies (FLEET) is seeking to appoint up to four outstanding early-career candidates as Research Fellows to perform research at relevant FLEET node/s as determined by the candidates’ expertise and research aspirations. The appointment is for up to two years (at a full-time load), with …

Switching on a superfluid

Exotic phase transitions unlock pathways to future, superfluid-based technologies. We can learn a lot by studying microscopic and macroscopic changes in a material as it crosses from one phase to another, for example from ice to water to steam. But while these phase transitions are well understood in the case of water, much less is known about the dynamics when …

Electrons on the edge: the story of an intrinsic magnetic topological insulator

An intrinsic magnetic topological insulator MnBi2Te4 has been discovered with a large band gap, making it a promising material platform for fabricating ultra-low-energy electronics and observing exotic topological phenomena. Hosting both magnetism and topology, ultra-thin (only several nanometers in thickness) MnBi2Te4 was found to have a large band-gap in a Quantum Anomalous Hall (QAH) insulating state, where the material is …

Star attraction: magnetism generated in 2D organic material by star-like arrangement of molecules

2D kagome materials are a platform for tuneable electron-electron interactions ‘Star-like’ atomic-scale kagome geometry ‘switches on’ magnetism in a 2D organic material A 2D nanomaterial consisting of organic molecules linked to metal atoms in a specific atomic-scale geometry shows non-trivial electronic and magnetic properties due to strong interactions between its electrons. A new study, published today, shows the emergence of …

Home-grown semiconductors for faster, smaller electronics

‘Growing’ electronic components directly onto a semiconductor block avoids messy, noisy oxidation scattering that slows and impedes electronic operation. A UNSW study out this month shows that the resulting high-mobility components are ideal candidates for high-frequency, ultra-small electronic devices, quantum dots, and for qubit applications in quantum computing. Smaller means faster, but also noisier Making computers faster requires ever-smaller transistors, …

¡Felicidades! Fellowship success for Dr Iolanda Di Bernardo

Congratulations to FLEET Research Fellow Dr Iolanda Di Bernardo (Monash), who has received the highly prized Juan de la Cierva fellowship to fund research in Spain, starting in Spring 2022. The Juan de la Cierva fellowship is highly competitive, with a success rate between 10 and 15%, and is similar to the Australian DECRA fellowship. The grants encourage the recruitment …

New DECRA fellowships at FLEET

Three FLEET Research Fellows are amongst those receiving DECRA Fellowships in ARC announcements this week. Congratulations to: Dr Matt Reeves (UQ) Calming the Superfluid Storm: Taming Turbulence in Superfluid Devices Dr Eli Estrecho (ANU) Mixing light and matter with complex gauge fields Dr Qingdong Ou (Monash) Engineering twisted 2D materials for mid-infrared detectors. Dr Matt Reeves (UQ) Calming the Superfluid …

Congratulations Dr Zhi Li, a superconducting Future Fellow

Congratulations to FLEET AI Dr Zhi Li (UOW) who received an ARC Future Fellowship in this month’s announcement. The new ARC Fellowship will support Dr Li’s study of iron-based high-temperature topological superconductors, based at the Institute of Superconducting and Electronic Materials (ISEM) at the University of Wollongong. The topological non-trivial nature and zero resistance of topological superconductors make them very …

Where are they now? Life Post-FLEET with Paul Atkin

Talk to as many people as possible about your future career Stay open to new career directions Hi, I’m Paul Atkin. If we didn’t meet during my time as a FLEET scientist, we may have met more recently in my new life as a sales guy. If we haven’t met yet, I sincerely apologise and strongly suggest we meet for …

A Smooth Conduit for Electron Fluids

—first published APS Physics Electrons flow like a viscous fluid through a 2D channel with perfectly smooth sidewalls, offering a new platform to test solid-state and fluid dynamics theories. Electrons can, under certain conditions, flow like a fluid that’s thicker than honey. Now researchers have managed to observe this viscous fluid behavior in a way that allows unambiguous measurements and …

Mixing a cocktail of topology and magnetism for future electronics

Monash review: joining topological insulators with magnetic materials for energy-efficient electronics A new Monash review throws the spotlight on recent research in heterostructures of topological insulators and magnetic materials. In such heterostructures, the interesting interplay of magnetism and topology can give rise to new phenomena such as quantum anomalous Hall insulators, axion insulators and skyrmions. All of these are promising …

New 2D research hub features FLEET talent

A new ARC Research Hub highlighting the role of novel and 2D materials in emerging technologies in fields such as energy storage, purification and printed electronics features FLEET talent amongst its team. The ARC Research Hub for Advanced Manufacturing with 2D Materials (AM2D) will be led by Prof Mainak Majumder (Monash Department of Mechanical Engineering). Two FLEET Chief Investigators are amongst …

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Video explainers for 3MT

Tackling the next climate crisis with polariton superfluids, chocolate bars, ultra-fast laser pulses and chaotic gardening… FLEET’s Rishabh Mishra (Swinburne), Mitko Oldfield and Alex Nguyen (both at Monash University) have recently recorded explanations of their PhD research, submitted for the 2021 national Three Minute Thesis competition. Mitko Oldfield (School of Physics and Astronomy) explains his studies of polariton superfluids, with …

Reviewing pressure effects on iron-based high-temperature superconductors

Fe-based superconductors reviewed The discovery of iron-based superconductors with a relatively high transition temperature Tc in 2008 opened a new chapter in the development of high-temperature superconductivity. The following decade saw a ‘research boom’ in superconductivity, with remarkable achievements in the theory, experiments and applications of iron-based superconductors, and in our understanding of the fundamental mechanism of superconductivity. A UOW …

Identifying a topological fingerprint

Generating a topological anomalous Hall effect in a non-magnetic conductor anomalous planar Hall effect (APHE) the ‘smoking gun’ for the topological magnetic monopole in momentum space A FLEET theoretical study out this week has found a ‘smoking gun’ in the long search for the topological magnetic monopole referred to as the Berry curvature. This discovery is a breakthrough in the …

Congratulations Jemima and Tommy

Congratulations to Jemima Goodhew (UQ) – the newest Women in FLEET Honours scholar – and Tommy Bartolo (RMIT), who has received a FLEET writeup scholarship. Jemima Goodhew has been working with FLEET CI Prof Matt Davis at UQ on computationally modelling a 2D superfluid Helmholtz resonator, driven by a chemical potential difference. She is particularly interested in the transition to and …

Transforming the layered ferromagnet Fe5GeTe2 for future spintronics

Realizing in-situ magnetic phase transition in metallic van-der-Waals magnet Fe5GeTe2 via ultra-high charge doping A RMIT-led international collaboration published this week has achieved record-high electron doping in a layered ferromagnet, causing magnetic phase transition with significant promise for future electronics Control of magnetism (or spin directions) by electric voltage is vital for developing future, low-energy high-speed nano-electronic and spintronic devices, …

Congratulations Meera Parish and Agustin Schiffrin

Congratulations to two of FLEET’s Chief Investigators, whose contributions have recently been recognised by the School of Physics and Astronomy at Monash University: Meera Parish promoted to full Professor Agustin Schiffrin promoted to Associate Professor Prof Meera Parish (right) is a theoretical physicist developing many-body theories that span electron-hole systems and ultracold atomic gases. She is an ARC Future Fellow …

Inducing and tuning spin interactions in layered material by inserting iron atoms, protons

Controlling Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) in chiral magnet iron-doped tantalum-sulfide by proton intercalation Magnetic-spin interactions that allow spin-manipulation by electrical control allow potential applications in energy-efficient spintronic devices. An antisymmetric exchange known as Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions (DMI) is vital to form various chiral spin textures, such as skyrmions, and permits their potential application in energy-efficient spintronic devices. Published this week, a Chinese-Australia …

Creative, online lab demonstrations maintain international collaborations

How does global research collaboration work, while Covid-19 still prevents international in-lab visits? A recent FLEET collaboration found a creative solution, running in-lab demonstrations of new quantum technologies across multiple universities on two continents. FLEET’s Matthias Wurdack (ANU) and Semonti Bhattacharyya (Monash) were able to consult with researchers in the New York lab of FLEET PI Jim Hone (Columbia University), …

Australian STEM recognised in Shanghai rankings

Great results for STEM in Australian universities in the Shanghai/ARWU 2021 rankings, with Australian universities represented in the world top-100 for all the natural sciences and engineering disciplines except maths. Highlights amongst FLEET’s participating nodes include: Monash and ANU (#28) ranked in the global top 100 for physics UNSW top 40 for electronic engineering Monash, UOW, UNSW and UQ top 100 for material …

Engaging with end-users: Meeting the Melbourne Computer Club

What is the future of computing? As Moore’s law is approaching an end, new technologies are required to enable further advances in computational speed and energy-efficient data processing. As transistors took their first baby-steps over half a century ago, the next generation of electronic switches are being born today. Engaging with the Melbourne computing and electronics community in a ‘fireside …

Women in FLEET Honours students at RMIT, UNSW, ANU

Please welcome FLEET’s three new Women in FLEET Honours students: Kyla Rutherford (RMIT) Olivia Kong (UNSW) Robin Hu (ANU) Kyla, Olivia and Robin have all received Women in FLEET Honours Scholarships, which are awarded to high performing students doing their Honours research project with FLEET. Kyla Rutherford will be working with Jared Cole at RMIT to understand transport properties in …

Tools of the Trade: Iolanda Di Bernardo explains XPS depth profiling for Nature series

X- ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is used for material characterization, providing quantitative information on the chemical composition of materials by identifying the type of elements that are present (nowadays, with a detection limit in the range of one part per thousand). XPS also allows the identification of the chemical state of the elements – such as the types of bonds …