Seminario "Electrical and Optical Manifestations of Flat Band Physics in van der Waals Semiconductors"

DiSAT è lieta di invitarvi al seminario "Electrical and Optical Manifestations of Flat Band Physics in van der Waals Semiconductors" che è organizzato per l'8 di gennaio 2026 in Sala Didattica alle 14.30 .

Abstract
Understanding and controlling correlated and topological states in low-dimensional semiconductors requires experimental tools that can reveal hidden electronic degrees of freedom with high sensitivity. In this talk, I will present how out-of-plane tunneling currents provide such access. Using this approach, we achieved the electrical detection of flat electronic bands in van der Waals semiconductors, directly resolving their density of states trend. I will then show how the same technique enabled the electrical detection of light’s chirality in an achiral system and uncovered the longstanding prediction of spin polarization at the valence band edge of InSe. These findings highlight how tunneling spectroscopy can uncover otherwise inaccessible aspects of band-structure physics. I will conclude with a brief outlook on our latest efforts, which aim at contactless transport in 2D semiconductors and novel optical probes in hybrid super/semi heterostructures.
About the Speaker:
Gabriele Pasquale is a Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) Postdoctoral Fellow in the Physics Department at Harvard University, working with Professor Philip Kim. His research integrates 2D materials, semiconductors, superconductivity, and quantum photonics, with a focus on developing new experimental platforms to investigate flat-band physics, correlated electron phases, and excitonic phenomena. His work aims both to address fundamental questions in condensed matter physics and to explore how quantum materials can offer new pathways for emerging technological challenges. He earned his PhD at EPFL, where he developed charge tunneling and optical spectroscopy techniques to study emergent phenomena in semiconducting van der Waals heterostructures. Earlier in his studies, he trained at KTH in Sweden with a research stay at ETH Zurich, and holds a bachelor’s degree in Engineering Physics from Politecnico di Torino. His work has been published in leading journals and has received recognition through several scientific prizes, invited talks, and media features.

Speriamo di incontrarvi numerosi!

F.Giorgis