ERC Starting Grant for Dr. Florian Dirnberger

Funded by the European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant:

Van der Waals magnetic semiconductors are magnetic but also function as semiconductors. They contain “excitons,” optical quasiparticles, as well as “magnons,” magnetic excited quasiparticles. In the “WAVES” project, researchers are investigating coupled quasiparticles in solids. By combining optical lasers with microwaves and magnetic fields, excitons and magnons can be precisely controlled. The goal is to use a new (stroboscopic) imaging technique to replicate quantum physics experiments and to better investigate exciton transport using ultrafast microscopy. With the help of ultrathin samples, the researchers aim to discover new relationships between excitons, magnons, and transport phenomena related to quantum metrics and, using a holistic approach, measure both quasiparticles spatially and temporally to detect novel interaction effects. The researchers expect WAVES to yield new insights at the frontiers of semiconductor physics, magnetism, and optics, as well as greater clarity regarding the potential of quasiparticles in solids.

Congratulations!