Scalable Chern insulators for quantum metrology

Research Project, 2026 – 2030

The realization of moiré lattices with two-dimensional (2D) crystals is possibly the most exciting recent development in condensed-matter physics, bringing an avalanche of spectacular discoveries, puzzling phenomena, and the promise to enable disruptive technologies. However, these are difficult to synthesize, predict and describe, as there are no pre-existing theories to treat simultaneously strong correlations and band topology. Building on exciting preliminary results, this project aims at demonstrating moiré physics while avoiding the tear-and-stack of 2D crystals. Such a feat will be possible by combining for the first time our unique capability to obtain wafer-scale, single-crystal graphene layers, with the ability to engineer graphene multilayers that naturally host moiré physics (e.g. rombohedral stacking). This hitherto unexplored combination could lead to truly scalable quantum materials displaying macroscopic quantum phenomena at high temperatures. Smoking gun evidence of the success of this project will be the demonstration of quantum Hall effect without magnetic field, hallmark of Chern insulators. Quantization accuracy of the von Klitzing constant RK=h\/e2 within 1 part-per-billion will be rigorously tested at national metrology laboratories, where I am a visiting scientist. This ground-breaking, ambitious endeavour at the forefront of condensed matter physics might revolutionize quantum materials, metrology, and information processing.