MBE Laboratory for Quantum Material Synthesis at Notre Dame

Development of quantum materials and their design are at the heart of future technologies, from the novel semiconductor functionalities and lasers for various applications, to the design of entirely new man-made multi-functional materials for new detectors and new types of computation (e.g., quantum computing). These include new types of semiconductors, topological, magnetic and superconducting materials. 

State-of-the-art materials fabrication techniques allow researchers to create “designer materials” that are built-up atom-by-atom into an architecture required by the specific function that is being sought. Notre Dame has been a pioneer in the development of materials which combine semiconducting, topological and magnetic properties, thus allowing one to integrate those functions into a single designer material. This is accomplished by the technique of molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), where atoms are directed “on demand” to create desired atomic configurations aimed at performing specific operations. Our MBE facility has been at the forefront of designing and fabricating new multifunctional materials, including quantum structures for semiconductors blue laser systems, and most recently materials combining topological effects and magnetism (III-Mn-V, MnBi2Te3…) The MBE Laboratory at Notre Dame collaborates on a continuous basis with over 50 other research institutions – Universities, Industry, and National Government Laboratories – both by providing research materials and by sharing our expertise with scientists in those institutions.

The MBE Laboratory for Materials Fabrication and Nanotechnology at Notre Dame is jointly led by Badih A. Assaf, Jacek K. Furdyna, and Xinyu Liu. For more information please follow this link.