Poster: Novel Synthesis of Ultraflat Single Crystal in Between Van der Waals Materials

Quantum materials are predicted to have unique electronic properties in low dimensions. Conventional fabrication techniques such as molecular beam epitaxy produce samples with dense terraces which increase scattering while exfoliation is not applicable to all materials. We have developed an alternative approach for fabricating high-quality thin crystals in between layers of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN). A bulk seed crystal is heated and pressurized, yielding thin single crystals as evidenced by structural characterization and electronic transport measurements. Here, we present new avenues for this growth method. We extend this to new materials including Bi, Sn, In, and Te. Similarly, we expand this technique to develop on-chip injection molding and large-scale heat pressing methods, which present crystals with different controlled geometries, the production of nanowires, and large-scale flat sheets. We also explore the influence of different substrates and vdW materials. This technique opens up new ways to conduct 1D and 2D material synthesis, paving the way for new applications in high-performance electronics, sensing, and quantum computing for these materials.