In the first of this fall's honors presentations, Sam Kovach '25 will share his research on computational studies on two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenide systems using Density Functional Theory.
Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenide (2D-TMD) systems are a rich field of research within condensed matter physics. The large variety of physical characteristics exhibited by this class of material have led to wide interests, mainly due to its potential applications in optics and information systems. In this presentation I propose to conduct spectroscopic ellipsometry studies on several 2D-TMD systems, determining their thickness-dependent dielectric functions. Concurrently, I propose to conduct computational studies on these 2D-TMD systems using Density Functional Theory (DFT). DFT is a computational approach to determine the band structure and the dielectric functions of condensed matter systems. Implementing the DFT tool in our lab will enable us to perform theoretical/computational studies on materials we investigate, enabling us to corroborate the experimental results with first principles calculations.
Join us on Friday, Sept. 6, for the first of this year's honors talks presented by physics students pursuing honors. Lunch will be available in Hayes 216 from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. and the presentation will begin in Hayes 211/213 at 12:10 p.m. Come and support your fellow physics classmates. We hope to see you there!