Nano@Tech
Phillip First, School of Physics
The Georgia Institute of Technology

Abstract: This century has seen the end of Moore's Law and a consequent explosion of interest in new materials for electronics.  A central theme has been the control of electronic structure and transport properties through constraints of dimensionality and—more recently—topology.  The catalyst for this growing research in 2D and topological materials was the development of graphene; with Georgia Tech playing a leading role.  In this talk, I will discuss some of the ideas behind nanoelectronic applications of 2D and topological materials, and I will present scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy methods that we have developed for determining the nanometer-scale electronic structure of graphene and related materials.

Bio: Professor First has been a faculty member in the School of Physics at Georgia Tech since 1990.  He earned a B.S. degree in physics from the University of Wisconsin and a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois in 1988.  First’s research has been in the physics of surfaces, interfaces, and nanostructures. Since 2001, his contributions have been instrumental to the development and understanding of epitaxial graphene on silicon carbide.  Professor First's Ph.D. students have earned several university-wide awards and one national honor.  He has served his profession in several capacities, including as founding Chair of the Magnetic Interfaces and Nanostructures Division of the AVS.