I am currently working on a few projects in Professor Mohammad Hafezi's group. My main project is on researching how nanopatterning can be used to increase critical temperature in superconductors. Recent theoretical simulation work at the University of Maryland has
indicated that nanopatterning a superconductor such as aluminum may be able to increase the critical temperature
depending on the precise geometry of the patterns. I am currently fabricating devices to determine the validity of this theory.
My goal is to figure out firstly if nanopatterning can have an effect on critical temperature, and secondly what
the relationship is between the area, perimeter, and general shape of the patterns.
My role is to design, fabricate, and measure these devices. Fabrication is via electron beam lithography. I am using 950 PMMA A4 resist, and depositing
aluminum thin films with electron beam evaporation, then doing liftoff. This is a process I have optimized over the course
of several months, after first experimenting with ZEP resist and reactive ion etching. Below is a schematic of the fabrication
processes:
My current devices are designed to have 50 nm and 100 nm holes, spaced 100 nm and 200 nm apart respectively.
Patterned regions of several microns are connected to four-point measurement probes so that resistance vs. temperature
measurements can be taken. The devices were designed in KLayout, and then patterned on an Elionix 100kV EBL system. Here is a picture of one of my fully fabricated devices with 100 nm diamter holes:
Additionally, I am working on a project fabricating plasmonic metasurfaces out of silver to investigate the interactions between them and
transition metal dichalcogenides. We get very high quality single crystal silver samples from another research group, and are using them to fabricate the
devices. We are considering a liftoff based technique, but will most likely use an etching based method instead so that the only material remaining in the devices
is from the single crystal substrate. The samples are first coated in a thin layer of aluminum oxide via atomic layer deposition, then patterned via electron beam lithography. A thicker layer of
aluminum oxide is then deposited on top of the resist to form a hard mask. This mask is then etched down, the resist is removed, and then the patterns are etched into the silver via plasma etching.
I also recently fabricated devices that were used to measure samples of the van der Waals antiferromagnet CrSBr. These devices allowed for
accurate optical measurement of interlayer spin correlations in the CrSBr. The paper on this project has been submitted for publication!
Summer Student Theoretical Physics Research Session (SSTPRS)
This past June I participated in the 2026 SSTPRS program at the University of Maryland. The program was started by Professor Jim Gates with the goal of helping undergraduates
gain a higher level of mathematical sophistication, and develop the mathematical, organizational, and collaborative skills necessary for theoretical physics research.
The program is generally focused on problems in supersymmetry. The program begins with a one month intensive workshop in mathematical physics. The
workshop runs seven hours a day, seven days a week, and involves a mixture of lectures and collaborative problem solving. Topics covered include Lie groups
and Lie algebras, Clifford algebras, differential geometry, special and general relativity, classical mechanics, and supersymmetric theories.
After the workshop portion of the program, a research topic is introduced, and students work collaboratively on that project. My research project is on
the dimensional reduction of four dimensional N = 1 supersymmetric algebras into three dimensional spacetime. We are currently focusing on the dimensional
reduction in the vector, tensor, and chiral supermultiplets. My mentors for the program were Professor Gates, as well as Dr. Konstantinos Koutrolikos.
Both of them were phenomenal mentors and teachers, and created a truly unforgettable program.
In case anyone is curious here are my notes from the workshop portion of SSTPRS. I have not yet had time
to fully edit them, so there are likely quite a few typos and mistakes:
Takeuchi Group
I am also working on a research project with Professor Ichiro Takeuchi in the Quantum Materials Center.
My project involves fabrication of indium and Bismuth Palladium spin injection devices and low temperature measurements.
Devices are predominantly being fabricated with photolithography, followed by ion beam etching, and a liftoff step.
Bismuth Palladium thin films are fabricated via cosputtering, which creates a composition gradient on the wafer.
After characterizing the composition, the appropriate segments of the wafer are used for devices. Measurements are being taken in
a Quantum Design Physical Properties Measurement System.
Blue Wave Semiconductors
Before starting my research work at UMD, I worked at Blue Wave Semiconductors for a little over a year. I started
as an unpaid intern my senior year of high school, and then was hired for the following summer and winter. They specialize in manufacturing thin film deposition systems. While there I did a research project on methods of directly bonding
semiconductor materials. I also spent quite a bit of time maintaining and constructing high vacuum systems and all sorts of thin film equipment! I worked with sputtering, thermal evaporation,
electron beam deposition, and pulsed laser deposition systems. I also did a little bit of stuff with CVD diamond, including hot filament and microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition. Blue Wave will
always have a special place in my heart as my first real lab or research experience.
This is me at Blue Wave as a high schooler wayyyyy back in the day.
