cfaed Seminar Series

Thomas Heine , Universität Leipzig, Wilhelm-Ostwald-Institut für Physikalische und Theoretische Chemie

Strong quantum confinement and topological phases in two-dimensional crystals

28.01.2016 (Thursday) , 13:00 - 14:00
TU Dresden, Hallwachsstraße 3, Seminar Room 115 , Hallwachsstraße 3 , 01069 Dresden

Since the rise of graphene and other two-dimensional crystals scientists understood that physics in two dimensions is different. There is a large manifold of 2D crystals, many of them showing strong quantum confinement, spin-orbit effects and response to external fields. The talk will present noble metal chalcogenides that exhibit particularly strong quantum confinement.

In particular PdS2 shows a semiconducting phase as monolayer, but a metallic one as bilayer. This property can be exploited in designing a single-metal transistor with negligible contact resistance. Two-dimensional topological insulators (2DTI), also commonly referred to as quantum spin hall states, have been proposed in 2007, when a HgTe layer was embedded in a CdTe matrix. For layer thickness less than 6.3 nm, the system showed the properties of a 2DTI. Unfortunately, known 2DTI systems have very small bulk band gaps that restricts their application to very low temperature. Thomas Heine is exploring 2D materials that show all characteristics of 2DTI, but have at the same time a large bulk band gap. Here, he concentrates on allotropes of Group 6 transition metal dichalcogenides and on buckled saturated Group 13 and Group 14 phases.

Scientific Education
Habilitation: Physical Chemistry, TU Dresden, 2006, Prof. G. Seifert
PhD graduation: Theoretical Physics, TU Dresden, 1999, Prof. G. Seifert
Study of Physics (09/1989 – 02/1995), TU Leuna-Merseburg and TU Clausthal, Diploma graduation; Prof. L.
Fritsche

Career
07/2015 – present, Chair of Theoretical Chemistry, Wilhelm-Ostwald-Institut für Physikalische und
Theoretische Chemie, Universität Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig
07/2015 – present, Adjunct Professor of Theoretical Physics, Department of Physics and Earth Science,
Jacobs University Bremen, 28759 Bremen
01/2008 – 06/2015, Professor of Theoretical Physics, Jacobs University Bremen (Associate Professor, 2011
promotion to Full Professor)
03/2002 – 12/2007, assistant, TU Dresden, Prof. G. Seifert
03/2000 - 02/2002, research assistant, University of Geneva, Prof. Jacques Weber
09/1999 – 02/2000, MC fellow (postdoc), University of Bologna, Prof. F. Zerbetto

Other
Since 2014, Speciality Chief Editor, Frontiers in Materials
2014, Guest editor, Accounts of Chemical Research
Since 2009, coordinator of FP7 projects (NMP: HYPOMAP, ITN: PROPAGATE)
Ongoing: Active reviewer for DFG, NSF, Swiss NSF and other scientific research organizations
Honors: 2010, European Research Council, ERC Starting Grant (C3ENV)

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