Event
MSE Seminar: Dr. You Zhou, UMD
Wednesday, October 15, 2025
3:30 p.m.
Room 2108 Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Building
Sherri Tatum
301-405-5240
statum12@umd.edu
Exploring electrons and excitons in atomic flatland
Abstract: Van der Waals heterostructures are created by stacking two-dimensional (2D) materials into nanoscale “sandwiches.” This architecture offers unprecedented flexibility in designing semiconductor heterostructures, opening up new regimes to engineer how electrons behave and how light interacts with materials. In this talk, I will discuss the approaches for engineering semiconductors at the atomic scale, enabling precise control of their electronic properties and the creation of new electronic phases. I will present how bounded electron–hole pairs, known as excitons, in these heterostructures can exhibit remarkable optical properties that enable nanoscale sensing and the development of nonlinear optical devices. I will further discuss how these fundamental studies could advance the technological potential of 2D semiconductors in optoelectronics and quantum information science.
Bio: You Zhou is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park. He leads an experimental group investigating the fundamental properties of quantum materials and develop devices for next-generation electronic and optical technologies. He received his B.S. in Physics from Peking University and his Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Harvard in 2015, working with Prof. Shriram Ramanathan. He was a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University between 2015 and 2020, working with Prof. Hongkun Park. He is a recipient of the NSF CAREER Award and the Department of Energy Early Career Award.
