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Topological insulators raise the exciting the hope of realising lossless energy transport, which is true at ultralow temperatures. However, topological insulators fail to maintain this lossless ‘magic’ at room temperature. Researchers from Monash University, part of the FLEET Centre, have uncovered new insights into the efficiency of topological insulators, illuminating the significant disparity between their magic lossless energy transport at …
Researchers from Monash University, part of the FLEET Centre, have revealed a generic approach towards intrinsic magnetic second-order topological insulators. These materials are crucial for advancements in spintronics, an emerging field aiming at using spin degree of freedom to deliver information. Background Two-dimensional ferromagnetic semiconductors, such as CrI3, Cr2Ge2Te6, and VI3, have been extensively studied in recent years. These materials …
Overcoming magnetic disorder is key to exploiting the unique properties of QAH insulators. The Monash-led team demonstrated that the breakdown in topological protection is caused by magnetic disorder, explaining previous observations that topological protection could be restored by application of stabilising magnetic fields. “The study paves a clear research pathway towards use of MTIs in low-energy topological electronics,” says …
Automating time-consuming tasks to fast-track materials research A new open-source software package developed by Monash University researcher Julian Ceddia aims to significantly streamline the study of materials using Scanning Tunnelling Microscopes (STMs). The software, named Scanbot, automates the time-consuming probe optimisation and data acquisition processes essential for STM experiments, helping to accelerate 2D materials research by enabling detailed investigation after …
FLEET researchers from the University of Wollongong have revisited the concept of spin gapless semiconductors (SGSs), one of the most fascinating materials classes in quantum condensed-matter physics, originally proposed by Xiaolin Wang in 2008. In SGSs, low energy bands constitute a spin gapless energy-momentum dispersion. I.e., gapless spectrum in one of the spin sectors, while a gapped spectrum in the …
FLEET News in June 2024 was the final edition of the regular monthly newsletter and included FLEET landing event, ways for members and affiliates to stay in touch (Friends of FLEET), upcoming conferences and more. Unfortunately, with the old FLEET website having been archived, you’ll find that internal story links inside the newsletters will no longer work. To repair them, …
Ground-breaking research revealed the ultra-narrow linewidth of a novel type of laser that operates without population inversion. Exciton-polariton lasers, renowned for their low-power operation, have long tantalised researchers with their promise for practical low-energy applications. However, until now, a clean measurement of the laser’s linewidth, or spectral purity, has remained elusive. “The spectral purity is one of the defining characteristics …
A team of Monash researchers have uncovered for the first time the full effects of interactions between exciton-polaritons and their associated dark excitonic reservoir. Exciton-polaritons (‘polaritons’, for short) are hybrid mixtures of light and matter that inherit the best properties of both. They form in semiconductors sandwiched between two mirrors, through which a laser is shone. “Polaritons capture useful properties …
Around 140 FLEET members, friends and partners gathered at Monash this week at the FLEET Headquarters to celebrate the Centre’s achievements. Funded in 2017, FLEET was officially launched at the same venue, Monash New Horizons Centre, on 12 June 2018. Guests include current members, alumni, collaborators and stakeholders, all of whom have contributed and supported FLEET in its seven-year journey. …
Sangeet Kumar was the inaugural intern for the FLEET internship program, working at ANSTO, performing neutron reflectrometry experiment to study ion-beam modified 2D materials. Sangeet reports back on whart he learned: “I recently finished my two-month FLEET ANSTO internship at Lucas Heights, NSW. I’m grateful for the financial support provided by FLEET as an additional stipend, and for ANSTO’s support …
We love the iconic FLEET logo, and so do our members, who have enjoyed wearing it on hoodies, T-shirts and face stickers, working it into scientific experiments, and outreach apparatus. What’s the secret of a great logo? For us, it was involving a large team, being clear about what we wanted to do, and why, and iterating back and forward …
FLEET AI Prof Sue Coppersmith (UNSW) kicked off her AIP Woman in Physics national tour this month in Victoria. Sue introduced over 250 students, teachers and public to the life of a theoretical physicist at five events around Melbourne. The busy three day schedule included: A public lecture at RMIT aimed at a physics-savvy public audience. Girls in Physics breakfast …
The boundary between solid metal and liquid metal can be much less ‘solid’ than we ever suspected. RMIT researchers have discovered that the liquid-solid boundary can fluctuate back and forth, with metallic atoms near the surface breaking free from their crystal lattice. Observing a metal-alloy mass solidifying in a sea of liquid metal, the team was able to observe a …
A switchable material based on electron-electron interactions. An Australian-led study has found unusual insulating behaviour in a new atomically-thin material – and the ability to switch it on and off. Materials that feature strong interactions between electrons can display unusual properties such as the ability to act as insulators even when they are expected to conduct electricity. These insulators, known …
University of Wollongong researchers achieved a significant milestone in novel soft-matter transport by demonstrating the transfer of liquid metal from an anode to a cathode without creating a short circuit, defying conventional expectations. The team led by Prof Xiaolin Wang unveils a method where liquid-metal (specifically gallium-based, room temperature liquid metal) anodes can flow towards cathodes with a small electrical …