About Us
Diamond Light Source is the UK’s national synchrotron science facility. By accelerating electrons to near light-speed, Diamond generates brilliant beams of light from infra-red to X-rays which are used for academic and industry research and development across a range of scientific disciplines including structural biology, physics, chemistry, materials science, engineering, earth and environmental sciences.
The Project
Strain plays a crucial role in modern electronics, with strain engineering a cornerstone of band engineering, essential for high-speed electronics. However, strain has the potential to play an even more transformational role in the field of 2D electronics. Amongst the extraordinary mechanical properties of 2D materials, their ability to tolerate large strains before breaking is noteworthy, with reports of strain in graphene exceeding 10%. Strain
changes the length of atomic bonds and changes bond angles, tuning electronic coupling and hence altering band gaps, band alignments and effective masses. Uniaxial strain can break crystal symmetry and induce anisotropy, and in strongly correlated systems, strain can drive phase transitions.
This has led to the concept of 2D straintronics [1]: engineering the electronic and optical properties of 2D devices through the introduction of mechanical deformations. Some of this is inadvertent. For nearly commensurate layers, for example in small angle twisted bilayers of graphene, commensurate domains can form with strain localised at the nanoscale into domain walls. But strain can also be used as a control parameter. For example, optical spectroscopy measurements of increasing tensile strain on monolayers of semiconducting MoS2 initially indicate a reducing band gap, until at around 2% strain a transition from direct to indirect band gap is inferred. Strain can also drive magnetic phase changes in 2D materials: in recent work [2], uniaxial strain was used to
reversibly induce an anti-ferromagnetic to ferromagnetic transition in the 2D magnetic semiconductor, CrSBr. In all cases, strain induced changes to the electronic structure drive changes to the functional properties. But, so far, the underlying electronic structure changes have only been indirectly inferred.
We see an exciting opportunity to gain new insight into 2D straintronics through direct in situ electronic structure measurements using angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy with micrometre scale spatial resolution (µARPES). The project combines the world-leading expertise in µARPES at the I05 beamline of the Diamond Light
Source with the experience of Professor Neil Wilson’s group at the University of Warwick, pioneers of inoperando ARPES measurements of 2D heterostructures [3]. The aim of the project will be to develop the strain rigs and sample designs necessary to make in situ strain dependent electronic structure measurements. By delivering proof-of-principle experiments, demonstrating band structure changes and strain driven phase
transitions, we will open the field of 2D straintronics to ARPES.
Funding (stipend plus fees) is available for exceptional candidates for 3.5 years, with an enhanced stipend above the standard research council rate (see here). Applicants with interest in condensed matter Physics and aptitude for experiment and data-analysis are encouraged to apply. The student will spend part of the project at the University of Warwick and part at Diamond Light Source, benefitting from exceptional facilities and
collaborations at both. A broad education in Materials Physics will be provided through dedicated modules at Warwick, Diamond, and external courses.
Further Information
Diamond Light Source Ltd holds an Athena SWAN Bronze Award, demonstrating their commitment to provide equal opportunities and to advance the representation of women in STEM/M subjects: science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine.
Diamond jointly funds around 15-20 studentships every year with a variety of collaborators from both academic institutions to industry partners. Students accepted onto these projects will be part of our yearly cohort intake and are supported by both their academic and Diamond supervisors, as well as a dedicated Student Engagement team based at Diamond.
Diamond studentships are typically 50% funded by Diamond and 50% by the partnering university institution (or 25% funded by Diamond if there is a third party collaborator). Students are therefore required to spend 50% of their studentship at Diamond, with most students relocating to the local area for this period. Support on suggested accomodation options are provided by Diamond.
Benefits of Diamond's jointly funded studentships
Further Information
If you have further questions please contact the Student Engagement team on diamond.students@diamond.ac.uk.
Further guidance for students can be found here as well as more information about life at Diamond found here.
Applications are now closed.
Diamond Light Source is the UK's national synchrotron science facility, located at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire.
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Didcot
Oxfordshire
OX11 0DE
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