Jean Joseph Heremans
Associate Professor
Virginia Tech  ,   Department of Physics
Robeson Hall, Room 321
Blacksburg, VA 24061
Tel: 540-231-4604    Fax: 540-231-7511    Email: heremans@vt.edu
Ph.D.: Princeton University, 1994

Teaching
Fall 2008: graduate Solid State Physics, part 1

Research in the Quantum Transport Lab
Experimental mesoscopic condensed matter physics: electronic, spin-dependent and magnetic properties at the nanoscale
We use two-dimensional electron systems in InAs/AlGaSb and InSb/InAlSb, and thin film InSb, to study spin physics and spintronics under strong spin-orbit coupling in mesoscopic geometries. Example projects are: spin-resolved magnetic focusing, the effect of spin on quantum interference, and spin-dependent reflection. Apart from quantum information processing, InSb and InAs have applications in magnetic sensing due to their high mobility. We also perform experiments on electronic properties of molecular species and organic semiconductors. The lab is equipped with measurement cryostats (helium-three, and variable temperature, magnetic fields to ~10 T), fabrication equipment (electron beam lithography, photolithography, dry etching, thin film deposition), characterization equipment (SEMs, AFM, profilometer, optical microscopes), and equipment for electronic measurements.



Quantum interference device,
by electron beam lithography and
wet etching on an InSb/InAlSb heterostructure.
Gold electrodes on Si/SiO2 fabricated
by electron beam lithography using
a PMGI/PMMA double layer resist,
for nanoscale organic electronics.
Electrode gap about 20 nm.



Education / history