Archived Newsletters

Important Dates

August 24, 2018 Deadline for submitting invited speaker suggestions for DMP Focus Topics through ScholarOne site.

October 26, 2018 Abstract deadline for the 2019 APS March Meeting. Submission is via the web.

November 20, 2018 Deadline DMP Ovshinsky Student Travel Awards.

November 20, 2018 Deadline DMP Post Doctoral Travel Awards.

March 4 - March 8, 2019 (with tutorials, etc., March 2–3): APS March Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts.

A Note from the Chair

Over the past few months the DMP Executive Committee has been hard at work on various activities and I would like to take this opportunity to bring you up to date. I would also like to ask for your active participation in a number of upcoming DMP activities – your participation really does count towards making DMP a very vibrant part of the APS community and I appreciate the support that you give to our Division.

First and foremost are the preparations for the 2019 APS March Meeting, which will be held in Boston, March 4-8, 2019. DMP contributes to the meeting in many ways, with the most important being the DMP Focus Topics that comprise one of the largest blocs at the March Meeting. Creating these Focus Topics is a year-long process, starting with the selection of Focus Topic organizers, and culminating in the exciting sessions that we all attend at the meeting. This year, the Program Chair for DMP is our Chair-Elect, Nitin Samarth, and he has assembled a strong line-up of 19 Focus Topics, each organized by leaders in their respective fields. In addition, DMP is co-sponsoring a further 17 Focus Topics, as well as the Physics for Everyone symposium.

DMP members, please consider nominating invited speakers through the speaker nomination portal (details below), giving consideration to diversity in your nominations. Additionally, please encourage your students and colleagues to contribute abstracts to those sessions most closely related to their work; contributed talks breathe life into the sessions and are an excellent opportunity for younger scientists among us to showcase their work to a receptive audience.

In addition to running an important part of the March Meeting, DMP sponsors or co-sponsors a number of awards, and we likewise depend on DMP membership to nominate or support candidates for receiving these awards.

Let me first thank those of you who have nominated candidates for the James C. McGroddy Prize for New Materials, and the David Adler Lectureship in Materials Physics. Preparing nomination packages is very time consuming and takes considerable thought, and no one wins without strong backing.

We are again supporting the Richard L. Greene Dissertation Award in Experimental Condensed Matter Materials Physics. Awardees Claire Donnelly and M.A. Mueed presented their outstanding work on 3D magnetic structures and on 2D electron systems as part of one of the Prize symposia, and I am sure that you will agree as to the value of such an award to the early career scientists it recognizes. The nomination deadline for the award is August 31, 2018. 

DMP also recognizes the Young Scientist Prize in the Structure and Dynamics of Condensed Matter Physics. The International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP), Commission 10, awards this prize and the winner is recognized with an invited talk in a DMP-sponsored Symposium, and at our Reception at the March Meeting.

Student presenters are invited to apply for a Stanford and Iris Ovshinsky Student Travel Award. These highly competitive and prestigious awards are available to students whose abstracts are submitted to DMP-sponsored contributed sessions. The award provides travel support, and the awardees will be publicly recognized in our Reception at the March Meeting.

Postdoctoral presenters are invited to apply for a DMP postdoctoral travel award – I was very impressed by the standard of the applications that we received last year for these awards and I hope that this will continue.

I am also very excited to let you know about a major development effort by APS to establish the Millie Dresselhaus Fund for Science and Society. The goal is to raise a $600,000 endowment to support activities in the areas of Science and Society to honor her remarkable scientific career and inspiring legacy. We urge all DMP members to contribute to this effort in whatever way they can. Detailed information may be found on the APS website.

Finally, this is my opportunity to thank the members of the DMP Executive Committee who have recently completed their service. I thank them for their generous donation of time and expertise in serving the DMP community. These are: Peter Gehring (NIST) and John Singleton (LANL) who have stepped down as Members at Large. I also want to give a special thanks to Michael Flatté who has completed four years of leadership as Vice-Chair, Chair-Elect, Chair, and Past-Chair of the Division of Materials Physics. Michael has provided invaluable advice to me over the past couple of years. Michael’s knowledge of the workings of DMP and the APS is unmatched, making my job a lot easier and I extend my sincere thanks to him.

Enjoy the rest of your summer, and I look forward to seeing you in Boston!

Amanda Petford-Long, DMP Chair

The DMP Executive Committee

Chair: Amanda K Petford-Long, Argonne Natl Lab (04/18 - 03/19)

Chair Elect: Nitin Samarth, Pennsylvania State Univ (04/18 - 03/19)

Vice Chair: Toni Taylor, Los Alamos Natl Lab (04/18 - 03/19)

Past Chair: Daniel Stephen Dessau, Univ of Colorado–Boulder (04/17 - 03/18)

Councilor: Sam Bader, Argonne Natl Lab (01/17 - 12/20)

Secretary/Treasurer: Charles Ahn, Yale Univ (04/17 - 03/20)

Members-at-Large:

  • Scott Chambers, Pacific Northwest Natl Lab (04/16 - 03/19)
  • Michelle Dawn Johannes, Naval Research Lab (04/16 - 03/19)
  • Ezekiel Johnston-Halperin, Ohio State Univ (04/17 - 03/20)
  • Ni Ni, Univ of California - Los Angeles) (04/17 - 03/20)
  • James Rondinelli, Northwestern Univ (04/18 - 03/21)
  • Judith Yang, Univ of Pittsburgh (04/18 - 03/21)

The Division of Materials Physics March Meeting Postdoctoral Travel Awards

To recognize innovative materials physics research by post doctoral researchers, the Division of Materials Physics will again be sponsoring March Meeting Postdoctoral Travel Awards for those presenting at the APS March Meeting.

We anticipate that there will be up to eight $800 Travel Awards in 2019 to support participation in DMP Focus Topic sessions at the APS March Meeting sessions. The selection will be based on the research quality, the impact of the research at the March Meeting and the innovative contribution of the postdoctoral researcher. The selection committee will consist of members of the DMP Executive Committee.

Postdoctoral researchers interested in being considered for an award must apply online. A link to the application site will be available on the DMP website closer to the application deadline.

The Division of Materials Physics Ovshinsky Student Travel Awards

The Ovshinsky Student Travel Awards were established to assist the career of student researchers. The Awards are named after Stanley and Iris Ovshinsky, who had a very strong interest in, and commitment to, scientific education. The awards have been endowed by the Ovshinsky family, their colleagues at Energy Conversion Devices (ECD) companies and all their numerous friends from many social, intellectual and business relationships.

We anticipate that there will be ten $500 Travel Awards and ten $150 Honorable Mention recognitions each year to enable students to participate in the APS March Meeting sessions that are sponsored by the Division of Materials Physics. The selection will be based on merit and the selection committee will consist of members of the DMP Executive Committee.

Students interested in being considered for an award must apply online, and information can be found on the Division of Materials Physics pages under ‘Prizes and Awards’. A link to the application site will be available on the DMP website closer to the application deadline.

The 2018 Ovshinsky Student Travel and Honorable Mention Awards were presented at the 2018 March Meeting and were listed in the 2018 Winter DMP Newsletter.

Nominations for DMP Officers and Executive Committee Members

The DMP Officer election will be held late in 2018 to elect a Vice-Chair, a Secretary-Treasurer, a Divisional Councilor, and two new at-large Executive Committee Members. According to the Bylaws, the Nominating Committee shall nominate at least two candidates for the ballot for each office. We are inviting your suggestions for candidates, which should be emailed to the DMP Past Chair, Dan Dessau and copied to the DMP Secretary, Charles Ahn by September 15, 2018.

It is important to remember the membership of APS is diverse and global, so the Executive Committees of the APS should reflect that diversity. Nominations of women, members of underrepresented minority groups, and scientists from outside the United States are especially encouraged.

In addition, candidates can be directly nominated by petition of five percent of the membership of the Division. Such petitions must be received by the DMP Secretary/Treasurer, Charles Ahn by October 1, 2018.

DMP Focus Topics for the 2019 APS March Meeting 

The Division of Materials Physics is delighted to announce the program of DMP Focus Topics for the 2019 APS March Meeting (Boston, Massachusetts, March 4 - March 8, 2019) in this Newsletter. A Focus Topic generally consists of a series of sessions, each of which is typically seeded with one invited talk, the remainder of the session being composed of contributed presentations.

For the 2019 March Meeting, DMP is the lead organization unit on 19 different Focus Topics and co-sponsoring unit for an additional 17 See lists below.

We encourage Invited speaker nominations for the DMP-led Focus Topics. You will need an APS web account to log in to the system:

Deadline: Aug. 29, 2018

Submission

In suggesting speakers please keep in mind that speakers who gave an invited talk at the previous March Meeting are ineligible.

Your nomination will go to the organizers of the Focus Topic for which you have suggested a candidate and will aid the organizers in their selection of invited speakers.

Finally, note that the contents of this Newsletter will be available electronically on the DMP website. Corrections or updates will also be posted at this location.

List of DMP-Sponsored or Co-Sponsored Focus Topics and Sorting Categories for the 2019 APS March Meeting

07.01.01 Topological Materials: Synthesis, Characterization and Modeling (same as 36.07.01.01)
Organizers: Lu Li (Michigan Univ) & Joseph Checkelsky (Massachusetts Inst. Tech.)

There has been explosive growth in the study of topological insulators in which the combined effects of the spin-orbit coupling and time-reversal symmetry yield a bulk energy gap with novel gapless surface states that are robust against scattering. Moreover, the field has expanded in scope to include topological phases more complex materials such as Kondo systems, magnetic materials, and complex heterostructures capable of harboring exotic topologically nontrivial state of quantum matter. The observation of theoretical predictions depends greatly on sample quality and there remain significant challenges in identifying and synthesizing the underlying materials that have properties amenable to the study of the bulk, surface and interface states of interest. This topic will focus on fundamental advances in the synthesis, characterization and modeling of candidate topological materials in various forms including single crystals, exfoliated and epitaxial thin films and heterostructures, and nanowires and nanoribbons, in addition to theoretical studies that illuminate the synthesis effort and identify new candidate materials. Of equal interest is the characterization of these samples using structural, transport, magnetic, optical, scanning probe, photoemission and other spectroscopic techniques, and related theoretical efforts aimed at modeling various properties both in the surface/interface and in the bulk.

07.01.02 Dirac and Weyl Semimetals: Materials and Modeling (DMP) (same as 36.07.01.02)
Organizers: Dmytro Pesin (Univ Utah), Guang Bian (Univ Missouri) & Jin Hu (Univ Arkansas)

The field of topological semimetals has developed dramatically over the past few years. After the initial prediction and discovery of Dirac and Weyl semimetals – materials whose low energy excitations can be described by the Dirac or Weyl equation of high-energy physics – the field has now expanded to include new low-energy excitations not possible in a high-energy setting. Semimetals with different degeneracy at crossing points or lines have been predicted. Transport theories and effects have been predicted and proposed in order to measure a small subset of the topological characteristics of the semimetals (such as Chern numbers). Furthermore, semimetals whose existence is guaranteed by filling constraints derived from the presence of certain orbitals at certain points in specific lattices have also been mentioned in the literature.

Distinct from conventional low carrier density systems, Dirac, Weyl and other semimetals are expected to possess exotic properties due to the nontrivial topologies of their electronic wave functions. A subset of the novel properties predicted include Berry phase contributions to transport properties, chiral anomaly, quantized nonlinear transport under circularly polarized light, protected Fermi arc surface states, suppressed scattering, optical control of topology, landau level spectroscopy, superconductivity, and non-local transport. While promising candidate materials exist for many but certainly not all of the topological semimetals, many phenomena have yet to be clearly resolved.

This focus topic aims to explore Dirac, Weyl and other new semimetals and the novel phenomena associated with them. We solicit contributions on predictions, new materials synthesis and characterization, new phenomena in topological semimetals, as well as studies on both conventional and unconventional semimetals, both in the bulk and on the surfaces of samples that accentuate the non-trivial topological character of the new semimetals.

07.01.03 Topological Superconductivity: Materials and Modeling (same as 09.01.02, 36.07.01.03, 36.09.01.02)
Organizers: Arun Bansil (Northeastern Univ), Ashvin Vishwanath (Harvard Univ) & Vidya Madhavan (Univ Illinois-Urbana Champaign)

Topological superconductors are superconductors characterized by topological invariants associated with the band structure of the Bogoliubov quasiparticles. They have been a focus of significant experimental and theoretical efforts in view of their relevance to fundamental physical and mathematical concepts, and potential for quantum computation. Along with the search for bulk materials candidates, there has been much recent progress in studies of atomically thin films, artificially engineered structures, and the surfaces of bulk materials. This Focus Topic will cover topological superconductivity and the closely related non-centrosymmetric superconductivity in new experimental settings involving transition metal dichalcogenides, topological insulators, Weyl semi-metals, FeSe-based systems, graphene, engineered heterostructures, semiconducting nanowires, atomic chains and Shiba states, junctions with ferromagnets, quantum Hall states, and driven systems and Floquet states. This Focus Topic will also cover the new understanding of bulk materials candidates such as Sr2RuO4 and the emerging opportunities in platforms such as twisted bilayers of 2D materials, and advances in strategies for quantum information processing using topological superconductivity.

08.01.02 Dopants and Defects in Semiconductors (cosponsors: DCOMP, FIAP; same as 16.01.15, 36.08.01.02)
Organizers: Cyrus Dreyer (Rutgers Univ), Lee Bassett (Univ Pennsylvania) & Anderson Janotti (Univ Delaware)

Impurities and native defects profoundly affect the electronic and optical properties of semiconductor materials. Impurity incorporation is often a necessary step for tuning the electrical properties in semiconductors. Defects control carrier concentration, mobility, lifetime, and recombination; they are also responsible for the mass-transport processes involved in the migration, diffusion, and precipitation of impurities and host atoms. Controlling the presence of impurities and defects is a critical factor in semiconductor engineering, and has enabled the remarkable development of Si-based electronics, GaN based blue light-emitting diodes and lasers, semiconducting oxides for transparent conducting displays, and the promise of next-generation sensors and computing based on defects like the NV center in diamond. The fundamental understanding, characterization and control of defects and impurities will also be essential for developing new devices, such as those based on novel wide-band gap semiconductors, spintronic materials, and low dimensional structures. The physics of dopants and defects in semiconductors, from the bulk to the nanoscale and including surfaces and interfaces, is the subject of this focus topic. Abstracts on experimental, computational and theoretical investigations are solicited in areas of interest that include: the electronic, structural, optical, and magnetic properties of impurities and defects in elemental and compound semiconductors; wide band-gap materials such as diamond, aluminum nitride, and gallium oxide; single-photon emitters including NV centers and their analogues; defects in two-dimensional materials including phosphorene, h-BN, transition metal dichalcogenides, 2D ferromagnets, and MXenes; and the emerging organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cell materials are of interest. Abstracts on specific materials challenges involving defects, e.g., in processing, characterization, property determination, including imaging and various new nanoscale probes are also welcomed.

08.01.03 Dielectric and Ferroic Oxides (cosponsor: DCOMP; same as 11.01.01, 16.01.14, 36.08.01.03, 36.11.01.01, 36.16.01.14)

Organizers: Julia Mundy (Harvard Univ), John Heron (Univ Michigan) & Beth Nowadnick (New Jersey Inst. Tech.)

Complex oxides can exhibit a rich variety of order parameters, such as polarization, strain, charge and orbital magnetization degrees of freedom. Their ordering phenomena give rise to a vast range of functional properties including ferroelectricity, polarity, pyroelectricity, electrocaloricity, magnetoelectricity, multiferroicity, metal-insulator transitions and defect- related properties, which are the principal topics of interest for this symposium. Understanding and harnessing these functional properties in view of new applications is a major challenge in our field:

  • Photovoltaics and photo-induced phenomena such as strain and charge order
  • Domain wall engineering
  • Band-filling and bandwidth control for charge and orbital ordering
  • Electric or mechanical control of ordering phenomena
  • Energy harvesting

This focus topic therefore welcomes contributions on fundamental aspects of structure, ordering and functionality in complex oxides as well as on emerging avenues to controlling polarization, magnetism and electronic properties via strain and/or strain gradients and/or defects. Contributions on breakthroughs and progress in the theory, synthesis, characterization, and device implementations in these and other related topics are highly encouraged.

08.01.04 Organometal Halide Perovskites: Photovoltaics and Beyond (same as 36.08.01.04)
Organizers: Joseph Berry (National Renewable Energy Lab) & Sarah Li (Univ Utah)

Organometallic halide perovskites have recently caused a surge of interest in their optoelectronic properties and applications due to their remarkable performance as semiconductor light absorbers in solar cells. As a new class of semiconductors, these materials are interesting not only because of the hybrid organic-inorganic structure, but also for their superior properties such as high defect tolerance, strong optical absorption, low recombination rate, ambipolar charge transport, and tunable physical properties. Rapid progress has been made in the demonstration of photoelectronic perovskite devices for photovoltaics, light emission, lasing and photodetection. Possible structural asymmetry, due to lattice distortion by organic cations, gives rise to ferroelectricity and large Rashba spin-orbit coupling in the hybrid perovskites, which provides more functionality to devices with electric field control and/or utilization of spin. However, the underlying physics of many unusual properties remains elusive, such as the hysteretic current-voltage relationships, low recombination rate, long spin lifetime and ferroelectric behavior. The practical use of these hybrid perovskite calls for more in-depth understanding of their fundamental properties and versatile strategies to tune and optimize the materials properties. In this Focus Topic we expect contributions on broadly-defined experimental and modeling studies of the optical, electronic, structural and defect properties of the organometallic halide perovskites. Advancements in materials engineering and the development of practical applications are also encouraged.

09.01.01 Fe-based Superconductors (cosponsor: DCOMP; same as 16.01.16, 36.09.01.01)
Organizers: Adam Kaminski (Ames Natnl Lab, Iowa State Univ), Stephen Wilson (Univ California-Santa Barbara) & Steven Johnston (Univ Tennessee)

Fe-based superconductors (FeSCs) continue to fascinate the materials and condensed matter physics communities as we move into a new decade of their study. While the field started from the iron pnictides, new efforts have increasingly been directed towards the iron chalcogenides. Recent advances in the synthesis and control of the FeSCs are giving us renewed hope for even higher superconducting transition temperatures. At the same time, considerable progress is being made in the understanding of these materials, including the bad-metal normal state and the degree of electron-electron correlations, the order and excitations of the various electronic degrees of freedom (spin, orbital, charge and nematic), the role of quantum criticality in the phase diagram, and the amplitude and structure of the multi-orbital superconducting pairing. In addition, there is progress in understanding the unifying principles that may optimize superconductivity of the FeSCs and connect them with other unconventional superconductors such as the cuprates, heavy fermions and organic charge-transfer salts. Finally, the FeSCs may connect to broader issues on superconductivity, such as BCS-BEC crossover and topological superconductivity. This focus topic will cover the pertinent recent developments in the materials growth, experimental measurements and theoretical understandings, and survey the potential for discovering new superconducting systems with still higher transition temperatures.

11.01.05: 5d/4d Transition Metal Systems (same as 36.11.01.05)

Organizers: Gang Cao (Univ Colorado) & Jan Musfeldt (Univ Tennessee)

Materials with 5d and 4d orbitals occupy a unique niche due to the competition between the crystal-field, spin-orbit coupling and Coulomb repulsion energy scales, as well as exchange interactions. These materials pose a challenge for observing and calculating behavior in the strongly spin-orbit coupled regime due to competing spin, charge and lattice degrees of freedom. As a consequence of the intricate interplay between various interactions, 5d and 4d materials exhibit intriguing properties that have been observed in experiment and theory, including unexpected insulating behavior, topological spin liquids and unconventional superconductivity.

This focus topic covers experimental and theoretical work on compounds containing 5d/4d elements, e.g. iridium, osmium, rhodium or ruthenium and others. These materials can be found for a variety of two- and three-dimensional lattices with varying degree of frustration and correlations. Emergent phases include magnetism, topological behavior, spin liquids, superconductivity and metal-to-insulator transitions. The topic is not limited to oxides.

12.01.01: 2D Materials: Synthesis, Defects, Structure and Properties (same as 36.12.01.01)
Organizers: Jing Kong (Massachusetts Inst Tech), Jiaqiang Yang (Oak Ridge National Lab), Sina Najmaei (Army Research Lab) & Shawna Hollen (Univ New Hampshire)

The interest in two dimensional (2D) materials is rapidly spreading across all scientific and engineering disciplines due to their exceptional chemical, mechanical, magnetic, optical and electrical properties, which not only provide a platform to investigate fundamental physical phenomena but also promise solutions to the most relevant technological challenges. 2D materials find their immediate application in field effect transistors, gas sensors, bio-detectors, mechanical resonators, optical modulators and energy harvesting devices with superior performances that have already been demonstrated in prototype devices. Furthermore, recent progress has also shown that heterostructuring, doping, intercalation and phase engineering in these 2D materials will enable unprecedented structures and functionalities with new opportunities and great potentials. However, the true impact will only be made if the initial breakthroughs are transformed into commercial technologies. A major challenge towards the commercialization of 2D materials is the scalable and controllable production of high quality layers in a cost-effective way. So far, the best quality samples of 2D materials have been obtained through micromechanical exfoliation of naturally occurring single crystals. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is the most widely used bottom-up technique to grow large area 2D-materials. Several top-down approaches have also been adopted based on bulk liquid phase chemical and electrochemical exfoliation. Each type of method possesses its unique strength to enable material for specific research or application needs, whereas on the other hand has its own challenge to be addressed.

This focus topic will cover:

  • Experimental, theoretical, and computational studies illuminating various aspects of the CVD growth process including, e. g., layer number and stacking geometry control, the formation of topological and structural defects, grain size and grain boundary control, and the effect of substrate chemistry, crystallography and strain
  • Methods of doping, epitaxy, intercalation or phase engineering
  • Templated or bottom-up growth or top-down synthesis of nanostructures and integration with other materials
  • Characterization and modeling of the structural, mechanical, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties of the synthesized 2D materials
  • Design and discovery of van der Waals magnets toward room temperature devices.

12.01.02: 2D Materials: Semiconductors (cosponsor: DCOMP; same as 16.01.17, 36.12.01.02)
Organizers: Nathan Guisinger (Argonne National Lab), Qing Hua Wang (Arizona State Univ) & Yong Chen (Purdue Univ)

Research exploring 2D semiconductors and their heterostructures is rapidly expanding to include a wide variety of layered material systems with diverse properties, including strong many-body interactions, strong spin-orbit coupling effects, spin- and valley-dependent physics, and topological physics. This Focus Topic will cover experimental and theoretical/computational work related to 2D semiconductors and their heterostructures, including large bandgap materials such as the chalcogenides (e.g. MoS2, WSe2, GaSe and ReSe), phosphorene and h-BN, small bandgap materials with possible topological properties (such as silicene, germanene, stanene and Bi2Se3), and magnetic semiconductors (e.g. CrGeTe3, CrI3, Mn:MoS2). We encourage abstracts discussing important topics related to monolayers, few-layers and heterostructures, including quantum transport properties, mobility engineering, spin- and valley-dependent phenomena, 2D exciton physics, the effect of defect engineering on optical and electronic properties, understanding the role of the dielectric environment, and many-body effects, in addition to magnetic, thermal and mechanical properties.

12.01.03: Devices from 2D Materials: Function, Fabrication and Characterization (same as 36.12.01.13)
Organizers: John Schaibley (Univ Arizona), Shiwi Wu (Fudan Univ) & Weida Wu (Rutgers Univ)

With the rapid progress in the research on 2D materials, including graphene and other layered material systems, a wide variety of properties and functionalities have emerged that have broad scientific and technological significance. The rational design of devices consisting of 2D materials calls for improved understanding of their intrinsic and extrinsic properties that are critical to the device functionality, as well as their integration with other device components. The development of these 2D materials based devices also requires solutions to problems associated with material functionalization, structural fabrication, and device characterization. This Focus Topic will cover experimental and theoretical/computational work related to devices based on the growing array of 2D materials that exhibit a wide variety of behaviors – such as metallic, semiconducting, insulating, magnetic, ferroelectric, superconducting, and various strongly correlated electronic phenomena. These 2D materials include (but are not limited to) graphene, transition-metal chalcogenides (e.g., MoS2, WSe2, NbSe2, TaS2, FeSe etc.), silicene, germanane, stanene, phosphorene, magnets (e.g. CrI3, Fe3GeTe2, Cr2Ge2Te6, etc.), ferroelectrics (e.g. SnTe, In2Se3, etc.), topological insulators (e.g., Bi2Se3, Bi2Te3, etc.), layered oxides (e.g., BSCCO), and large band gap materials such as h-BN.

We invite contributions on topics including: (i) the functionalization, fabrication, measurements, and modeling of devices based on the unique properties of 2D materials in the single- or multi-layered forms as well as their heterostructures; (ii) proof-of-principle studies focusing on the electronic, magnetic, dielectric, optical, mechanical, thermal, and chemical behaviors of 2D materials relevant for device applications; and (iii) interfacial, environmental, and system-based properties and behaviors inherent to the application of 2D materials in future devices.

12.01.04: 2D Materials: Metals, Superconductors, and Correlated Materials (same as 36.12.01.04)
Organizers: Aaron Bostwick (Lawrence Berkeley Natnl Lab, Univ California-Berkeley), Cory Dean (Columbia Univ) & Kin Fai Mak (Cornell Univ)

In the last few years, there has been an explosion of activities in the field of two-dimensional materials beyond graphene. Much of the effort focused on the rich optoelectronic properties of semiconducting compounds like the transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) or black phosphorus. Some of the TMDs display an insulating to metal transition upon gating which seems to be driven by electronic correlations. Others are metallic (or semi-metallic) over the entire temperature range while presenting gapped electronic ground states, such as superconductivity or charge-density waves. Semi-metallic WTe2 and orthorhombic MoTe2 (or ZrTe5) are claimed to possess unique topological features in their electronic band structures apparently leading to anomalous transport properties and perhaps also to an unconventional superconducting state. For monolayer NbSe2 superconductivity was shown to survive the application of extremely high magnetic fields when applied along its planar direction, while electronic correlations are likely to be important for the high superconducting transition temperature observed in monolayer FeSe. Surprisingly, the suppression of inter-planar coupling was claimed to enhance the charge-density wave transition in monolayers of TMDs. But with the exception of bilayer graphene, and probably also the quantum Hall-effect seen in transition metal dichalcogenides, InSe or black-phosphorus, to date there are relatively few examples of mono- or few-layered compounds, for which correlations seem to play a fundamental role.

This focus topic will concentrate on two-dimensional materials displaying gate induced phase-transitions or ground states with either non-trivial topologies or broken-symmetries for which new and relevant physical phenomena is likely to emerge.

12.01.05: Computational Design and Discovery of Novel Materials (same as 16.01.13, 36.12.01.05, 36.16.01.13)
Organizers: Tim Mueller (Johns Hopkins Univ), Shyue Ping Ong (Univ California-San Diego) & Artem Oganov (Skolkovo Inst Science & Technology, Russia)

The development of predictive computational simulation for accelerating the discovery and rational design of functional materials is a challenge of great contemporary interest. Advances in algorithms and predictive power of computational techniques are playing a fundamental role in the discovery of novel functional materials, with successful examples in catalysis, batteries, and photoelectrochemistry. High-throughput computation and materials databases have recently enabled rapid screening of both molecules and solid-state compounds with multiple properties and functionalities. This focus topic will cover research efforts to accelerate materials discovery and/or development by building the fundamental knowledge base and applying novel data driven approaches to design materials with specific and targeted functional properties from first principles.

Abstracts are solicited in the areas of interest that include computational materials design and discovery; development of accessible and sustainable data infrastructure; development of new data analytic tools and statistical algorithms; advanced simulations of material properties in conjunction with new device functionality; data uncertainty quantification; advances in predictive modeling that leverage machine learning and data mining; algorithms for global structure and property optimizations; and computational modeling of materials synthesis. The technical applications include but are not limited to electronic and optoelectronic materials, magnetic materials and spintronics, energy conversion and storage materials (thermoelectrics, batteries, fuel cells, photocatalysts, photovoltaics, ferroelectrics), metallic alloys, and two-dimensional materials. Contributions that feature strong connection to experiments are of special interest.

13.01.01: Nanostructures and Metamaterials (same as 36.13.01.01)
Organizers: Xiaobo Yin (Univ Colorado), Nanfang Yu (Columbia Univ) & Natalia Litchinitser (Duke Univ)

Recent experimental, theoretical and computational advances have enabled the design and realization of nanostructured materials with novel, complex and often unusual electromagnetic properties unattainable in natural materials. Such nanostructures and metamaterials provide unique opportunities to manipulate electromagnetic radiation over a broad range of frequencies, from the ultraviolet and visible to terahertz and microwave. This focus topic will highlight recent progress in the physical understanding, design, fabrication, and applications of these man-made materials. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: nanophotonics, plasmonics, near-field and quantum optics, opto-fluidics, energy harvesting, and the emerging interface of condensed matter and materials physics with the biological, chemical and neuro sciences.

13.01.02: Electron, Exciton, and Phonon Transport in Nanostructures (same as 36.13.01.02)
Organizers: Tom Harris (Sandia National Lab), Han Htoon (Los Alamos National Lab) & Shixiong Zhang (Indiana Univ) 

Understanding and controlling how heat, charge, and energy flow at the nanoscale is critical for realizing the potential of nanomaterials in next generation device technologies. Of particular challenge, and opportunity, is understanding how elementary excitations such as phonons, electrons, holes, excitons, and plasmons interact with each other and are influenced by interfaces, confinement, and quantum effects in nanostructures. This is particularly true for heterogeneous nanoscale materials and interfaces with varying degrees of electronic and phononic couplings, and distinct thermal and electrical impedances. Structural components used in hybrid nanostructures can be made of semiconductors, metals, molecules, liquids, etc.

Contributions are solicited in areas that reflect recent advances in experimental measurement, theory, and modeling of transport mechanisms in nanoscale materials and interfaces. Specific topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

  • Electron-phonon coupling and heat generation by hot charge carriers
  • Dynamics of energy and charge flow in nanostructured hybrid materials
  • Ultrafast dynamics of charge carriers, excitons, and phonons in nanostructures and across nanoscale interfaces
  • Charge, heat, and exciton transport through metal-semiconductor interfaces, inorganic-organic interfaces, and molecular junctions
  • Correlating nanoscale interface structure & chemistry with charge, heat, and exciton transport
  • Non-equilibrium heat transport and phonon-bottlenecks effects
  • Influence of dimensionality, nanostructuring, and surface states on charge, heat, and exciton transport
  • Energy transfer in hybrid nanomaterials including dots, wires, plates, polymers, etc
  • Excitonic nanomaterials with light-harvesting and lighting properties utilizing both solid-state and molecular components
  • Plasmonic nano- and meta-structures for light harvesting and concentration
  • Near-field heat transfer and energy conversion in nanogaps and nanodevices
  • Hybrid structures with interacting exciton and plasmon resonances
  • Hybrid nanomaterials for photo-catalytic applications utilizing excitons and plasmons.

13.01.03: Complex Oxide Interfaces and Heterostructures (same as 36.13.01.03)
Organizers: Ryan Comes (Auburn Univ), Hanghui Chen (New York Univ) & Roman Engel-Herbert (Penn State Univ)

When complex oxides are prepared as thin films and heterostructures, they exhibit additional properties that cannot be realized in the constituent materials alone. These novel properties arise as a result of interfacial charge transfer, exchange coupling, orbital reconstructions, proximity effects, dimensionality as well as the mechanical and electric boundary conditions. Emergent electronic and magnetic states at oxide interfaces raise exciting prospects for new fundamental physics and technological applications. This Focus Topic is dedicated to progress in the fabrication, methodologies, and knowledge in the field of complex oxide thin films, heterostructures, superlattices, and nanostructures. Synthesis, characterization, theory, and novel device physics are emphasized. Specific areas of interest include, but are not limited to, growth of oxide thin films and heterostructures (with special emphasis on new materials/interfaces), control of properties (magnetic, electronic, ordering, interfacial superconductivity, multiferroicity, magnetotransport, spin-orbit coupling), and developments in theoretical prediction and materials-by-design approaches. Advances in techniques to probe and image electronic, structural and magnetic states at heterostructure interfaces are also emphasized. Note that overlap exists with other DMP and GMAG focus sessions. As a rule of thumb, if complex oxides and their heterostructures are at the core of the investigation, then the talk is appropriate for this focus topic.

13.01.04: Materials for Quantum Information Science (same as 36.13.01.04)
Organizers: James Rondinelli (Northwestern Univ) & Joseph J. Heremans (Argonne National Lab)

The processing of information using classical means is at a cross-roads. Although classical computing continues to find innovative means to improve computational power, the traditional approach of scaling down transistor-based semiconductor technologies is nearly at its physical limits. A new class of information processing that explores possibilities beyond classical computing architectures is now underway with particular emphasis on quantum phenomena that complement existing computing architectures. To that end, new materials and physical properties are needed along with close collaborations among physicists, materials scientists, and electrical engineers. This Focus Topic intersects the materials discovery, devices physics, and nanoscale structure communities for quantum information processing (QIP) within the common theme of understanding the underlying physical interactions in materials for quantum information processing. Given that this topic remains exploratory in nature, contributions are solicited broadly among the following topics:

  • Superconducting materials and devices
  • Trapped ion systems
  • Artificial atoms in the solid-state
  • Solid-state quantum materials (quantum dots, point-defects in wide-gap semiconductors, rare-earth ions)
  • Topological materials
  • Solid-state quantum defect creation, positioning, and characterization
  • 2D materials
  • Hybrid quantum systems
  • Magnetic systems
  • Optical quantum computing devices
  • Biological, polymer, or inorganic materials for QIP
  • Molecular magnets and molecular spin qubits
  • First principles theory/simulations of QIP materials.

Other ideas that may be exploratory and less well defined at this time are also encouraged; however, suitable talks for this focus topic should focus on the (quantum) materials and physics germane to QIP.

14.01.01: Surface Science of Organic Molecular Solids, Films, and Nanostructures (same as 36.14.01.01)
Organizers: Christopher Boehme (Univ Utah)

Organic molecular solids are a challenging materials class since numerous “weak” interactions, all of comparable strength, control structures and functional properties. The promise of high performance optoelectronics, designer sensors, electrode work function control, and bioelectronic devices make the payoff for addressing this challenge high. Moreover, there is great scientific value in addressing complex systems with hierarchical interactions and a strong tension between localized and delocalized phenomenon such as found in organic molecular solids. This Focus Topic will bring together Surface Scientists to report and discuss new experimental and theoretical/computational results aimed at the basic physics underpinning this material class. Research of interest includes the structure, properties, electron dynamics, and applications of organic adsorbates, monolayer assemblies, thin films, crystals and nanostructures.

21.01.01 Thermoelectrics (cosponsor: GERA; same as 36.21.01.01)
Organizers: Zhifeng Ren (Univ Houston), Mona Zebarjadi (Univ Virginia) & Bolin Liao (Univ Californai-Santa Barbara)

Thermoelectrics for solid-state power conversion and refrigeration applications continues to be of great interest as new materials and transport phenomena are being discovered. The physics of materials and the associated charge carrier, spin, photon, and phonon transport is of particular interest. This focus topic addresses the latest developments in state-of-the-art materials and novel phenomena, including theory, synthesis, characterization, processing, mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties. These sessions will also highlight the latest application advances in waste heat recovery, high efficiency refrigeration, and how the field can lead to new advances in fundamental condensed-matter physics. Experimental, theoretical, and application and device-related contributions are solicited.

DMP Co-Sponsored Focus Topics led by other APS Units

(Submit invited talk nominations through primary sponsoring unit)

  • 01.01.01: Organic Electronics (DPOLY/DMP)
  • 01.01.02: Optics and Photonics in Polymers and Soft Matter (DPOLY/GSOFT/DMP)
  • 02.01.13: Hyperuniformity and Optimal Tesselations: Structure, Formation and Properties (GSOFT, DPOLY, DBIO, DMP, DCOMP, GSNP)
  • 10.01.01: Magnetic Nanostructures: Materials and Phenomena (GMAG/DMP)
  • 10.01.02: Emergent Properties of Bulk Complex Oxides (GMAG/DMP/DCOMP)
  • 10.01.03: Magnetic Oxide Thin Films and Heterostructures (GMAG/DMP/DCOMP)
  • 10.01.04: Spin Transport and Magnetization Dynamics In Metals-Based Systems (GMAG/DMP/FIAP)
  • 10.01.05: Spin Dependent Phenomena in Semiconductors (GMAG/DMP/FIAP/DCOMP)
  • 10.01.06: Frustrated Magnetism (GMAG/DMP)
  • 10.01.07: Chiral Spin Textures and Dynamics, including Skyrmions (GMAG/DMP)
  • 10.01.08: Low-dimensional and Molecular Magnetism (GMAG/DMP)
  • 16.01.01 Matter in Extreme Environments (DCOMP, DMP, GSCCM)
  • 16.01.02 Building the bridge to exascale: applications and opportunities for materials, chemistry, and biology (DCOMP, DAMOP, DBIO, DCP, DCMP, DMP, DPOLY)
  • 16.01.03 Electrons, phonons, electron-phonon scattering, and phononics (DCOMP, DMP)
  • 16.01.04 First-principles modeling of excited-state phenomena in materials (DCOMP, DCP, DMP)
  • 16.01.07 Exploring Free Energy Landscapes in Biology and Materials Science with Advanced Algorithms (DCOMP, DPOLY, DBIO, DMP, GSOFT, GSNP)
  • 17.01.09 Topological Stabilization of Memory and Computation (DQI, DMP)