Dr. David Beke, postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, was the guest speaker at the May NDnano networking lunch for affiliated faculty and staff. His presentation focused on size-dependent properties of silicon carbide nanostructures and the creation of room-temperature defect qubits inside 4 nm SiC quantum dots. Dr. Beke is part of the new Stavropoulos Center for Complex Quantum Matter. His research interests include spectroscopy, materials science, solid state synthesis, and hydrothermal synthesis.
Silicon carbide (SiC) is a stable, chemically inert wide band gap semiconductor. In his presentation, Dr. Beke discussed the size- and surface-dependent physical properties of SiC nanoparticles below 10 nm, close to the exciton Bohr radius. He also showed how the size affects the optical properties and photocatalytic activity exactly when energy levels transform from continuous to discrete states and interactions with biological media. The fabrication of nanoparticles below 10 nm with a high yield containing a qubit inside is still challenging for many materials. Dr. Beke explained a chemical method that excludes any high-energy interaction to synthesize 4 nm divacancy containing nanoparticles with high-contrast, room-temperature, optically detected magnetic resonance.
NDnano sponsors monthly networking meetings to provide a forum for faculty and staff to discuss recent research, probe new ideas, and connect with new collaborators. Notre Dame faculty and staff are invited to attend and join in the discussion to learn and advance research at Notre Dame. Visit the NDnano events page to learn about future networking sessions.
Originally published by at nano.nd.edu on June 12, 2023.