nanotech@surfaces Lab

Ultrafast Coulomb blockade in an atomic-scale quantum dot - Nature Communications Directly observing ultrafast single electron dynamics at the atomic scale remains a challenge. Here, the authors demonstrate ultrafast Coulomb blockade at selenium vacancies in WSe2/graphene heterostr...

Ultrafast electron control⚡️In our new Nature Communications paper, we switch single-atom charge states in WSe₂ with picosecond THz pulses capturing atomic-scale ultrafast dynamics.
@empa-materials.bsky.social @pennstatematse.bsky.social
#QuantumMaterials
#2Dmaterials
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

On-surface synthesis of tailored organic platforms for single metal atoms - Nature Communications Single atom catalysts, comprising minute amounts of transition metals dispersed on inert substrates, have emerged as prominent materials in heterogenous catalysis but their precise arrangement on surf...

💡New in Nature Communications: We developed carbon-based polymer platforms that anchor single metal atoms with atomic precision and stability, enabling tunable catalysis with CO & CO₂. Collaboration with CNR, OIST & Univ. Roma Tor Vergata.
dx.doi.org/10.1038/s414...
@Empa_CH

Optimized Synthesis and Device Integration of Long 17-Atom-Wide Armchair Graphene Nanoribbons Seventeen-carbon-atom-wide armchair graphene nanoribbons (17-AGNRs) are promising candidates for high-performance electronic devices due to their narrow electronic bandgap. Atomic precision in edge st...

📢 We report optimized on-surface synthesis of 17-atom-wide armchair graphene nanoribbons reaching ~17 nm average length. Gradual annealing and high surface coverage enable length enhancement and stability under ambient and harsh conditions.
@empa-materials.bsky.social
dx.doi.org/10.1021/acsn...

Today we are celebrating our annual CarboQuant Day with lots of interesting presenations and a keynote given by Arzhang Ardavan from the University of Oxford. 🚀Congrats to Yujeong Bae, Stepan Kovarik and Nils Krane for winning the 2025 CarboQuant Innovator Awards!🚀
@empa-materials.bsky.social

Proximity-Driven Magnetic Coupling between an Open-Shell Nanographene and a Rare-Earth Surface Alloy Open-shell nanographenes have attracted significant attention due to their structurally tunable spin ground state. While most characterization has been conducted on weakly interacting substrates such ...

🔬 New in ACS Nano: Triangulene on TbAu₂ shows a strong, spatially modulated interaction with ferromagnetic magnetization (~20 mV Kondo splitting).
➡️ TbAu₂ = new platform for π-magnetic nanographenes.
doi.org/10.1021/acsn...
@empa-materials.bsky.social

Wired by nature: precision molecules for tomorrow's electronics

Empa researchers develop hybrid system of magnetically and electronically coupled "string lights" ➡️ Wide range of applications in molecular #electronics, from chemical #sensing to #quantumtechnologies.
empa.ch/web/s604/gra...
@nature.com @nanotechsurflab.bsky.social

From molecular wires to quantum bits: in our latest work presented in Nature Chemistry, porphyrins are docked to graphene nanoribbons with atomic precision.
Hybrid properties, many possibilities.
🧪 rdcu.be/eBHyj

Congratulations to our PhD student, Laric Bobzien, for winning the 2025 EPS-QEOD / Young Minds Best Student Presentation Award! Laric works in our Terahertz lab, focusing on ultrafast scanning probe microscopy of atomic quantum emitters in 2D materials.

Exciting plenary talk by our head of laboratory, Roman Fasel, today to kick off the STM'25 conference in Seoul!

www.wernersiemens-stiftung.ch/en/news/deta...

Collaboration between @empa-materials.bsky.social @nanotechsurflab.bsky.social, Switzerland, International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, Braga, Portugal, and Center for Advancing Electronics Dresden, Germany.

#QuantumMaterials #Nanoscience #HeisenbergChains

"Quantum Lego": We engineered spin-1/2 Heisenberg chains by linking Olympicene nanographenes, unveiling their length-dependent spin excitations. With STM/IETS, we confirm gapless behavior in the thermodynamic limit & visualize spinon standing waves.
📖 Nature Materials: rdcu.be/edxe0

SNSF consortium #PiMag project meeting with collaborators from Empa, @ethzurich.bsky.social and INL Portugal. Brainstorming on new ideas ⚡️🔬🧪

@juriceklab.bsky.social @uzhchemistry.bsky.social @nanosurflab.bsky.social
#chemsky #pisky

New Empa laboratory to unlock the quantum potential of carbon

New Empa lab, CarboQuant, set to harness #quantum effects from #carbon, opening the way for sustainable quantum technologies.
www.empa.ch/web/s604/cab...
@nanotechsurflab.bsky.social

In our latest work, we show a sub-exponential increase in charge-state lifetime of Se vacancies in WSe₂, from picoseconds in monolayers to nanoseconds in multilayers. Great collaboration with @pennstatematse.bsky.social !
journals.aps.org/prl/abstract...
#2DMaterials #QuantumDefects #Optoelectronics

Empa has opened the CarboQuant Lab, a cutting-edge hub for exploring quantum effects in carbon! Supported by the Werner Siemens Foundation and the @snsf-ch.bsky.social, CarboQuant aims to create a materials platform for carbon-based quantum technologies.