Spotlight

Eric Monkman

Eric Monkman is a graduate student in Kyle Shen’s experimental physics group. His work focuses on the electronic and magnetic properties of artificial materials made up of stacks of single-atom-thick layers, so-called superlattices.  By ‘growing’ crystals at the atomic scale, materials can be produced that have exotic electronic and magnetic properties not found in macroscopic systems. Eric tries to understand how the strong interactions between electrons can give rise to the electronic and magnetic properties that are observed.

His primary tool is the Shen Lab’s angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy system. Ultraviolet light shines on a superlattice and causes electrons to be ejected from atoms close to the surface. By studying the energy and momentum of these electrons, Eric pieces together details about how they move from atom to atom within the material and how the electrons interact with each other.

With a good understanding of what makes these materials tick, scientists and engineers can design materials at the atomic scale for next-generation electronics and computers.

 

  • Contact

    Department of Physics Cornell University 109 Clark Hall Ithaca, New York 14853-2501 Phone: (607) 255-6016 Fax: (607) 255-2643 General email: physics@cornell.edu

    Laboratory of Atomic and Solid-State Physics (LASSP) 511 Clark Hall Ithaca, New York 14853-2501 Phone: (607) 255-6053 Fax: (607) 255-6428

    Laboratory for Elementary-Particle Physics (LEPP) Newman Laboratory Cornell University Ithaca, New York 14853-2501 Phone: (607) 255-4951 Fax: (607) 254-4552