image: An undergraduate student in physics at The University of Texas at Arlington earned a top award from the Texas Section of the American Physical Society (APS) for his research using positrons—the antiparticle of the electron—to study the electronic properties of graphene. Notable for being extraordinarily thin and strong, graphene is being researched for a wide range of applications, from solar cells and battery storage to cancer treatments and bone growth.
Credit: Photo courtesy UT Arlington
An undergraduate student in physics at The University of Texas at Arlington earned a top award from the Texas Section of the American Physical Society (APS) for his research using positrons—the antiparticle of the electron—to study the electronic properties of graphene. Notable for being extraordinarily thin and strong, graphene is being researched for a wide range of applications, from solar cells and battery storage to cancer treatments and bone growth.
Pratyanik Sau, a senior who will graduate Dec. 13 at 2 p.m. at Globe Life Field with a bachelor’s degree in physics and dual minors in data science and mathematics, won the Outstanding Undergraduate Student Oral Presentation Award at the Fall 2024 Joint Meeting of the Texas Section of APS, the Texas Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers, and Zone 13 of the Society of Physics Students.
Sau, a graduate of Delhi Public School Ruby Park in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, worked with faculty mentors Alex Weiss and Ali Koymen, professors of physics, and Varghese Chirayath, assistant professor of research, on the project “Positron Impact-Induced Secondary Electron Spectra of Graphene and Graphite.” Nicholas Hancock, a senior majoring in mathematics with minors in physics and computer science, is second author and co-collaborator.
The project involved the study of 2D materials, which are only one or two atoms thick but are wider in every other direction. Scientists work with both naturally occurring 2D materials, like graphene, and materials synthesized in labs.
“Characterizing surfaces of 2D materials is difficult since most of the conventional methods produce signals from the material and the underlying substrate on which it is grown,” Sau said.
A positron has the same mass as the electron but opposite charge. The team implanted low-energy positrons in graphene, which resulted in the ejection of electrons, thus revealing its electronic properties.
“In this work, we reported a way to analyze the experimental data and obtain the distribution of the energy of positron impact-induced electrons,” Sau said. “We compared the results obtained from graphene to its 3D counterpart, graphite, and to the copper substrate.”
Sau said that the information gained from the research can be useful in designing walls of particle accelerators or future fusion reactors.
This work was supported by NSF Grant No. CHE – 2204230, NSF-DMR-1338130, NSF-DMR1508719, and Welch Foundation (Y-1968-20180324).
About The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA)
Located in the heart of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, The University of Texas at Arlington is a comprehensive teaching, research, and public service institution dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through scholarship and creative work. With an enrollment of approximately 41,000 students, UT Arlington is the second-largest institution in the UT System. UTA’s combination of outstanding academics and innovative research contributes to its designation as a Carnegie R-1 “Very High Research Activity” institution, a significant milestone of excellence. The University is designated as a Hispanic Serving-Institution and an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education and has earned the Seal of Excelencia for its commitment to accelerating Latino student success. The University ranks in the top five nationally for veterans and their families (Military Times, 2024), is No. 4 in Texas for advancing social mobility (U.S. News & World Report, 2025), and is No. 6 in the United States for its undergraduate ethnic diversity (U.S. News & World Report, 2025). UT Arlington’s approximately 270,000 alumni occupy leadership positions at many of the 21 Fortune 500 companies headquartered in North Texas and contribute to the University’s $28.8 billion annual economic impact on Texas.