The Universitat Jaume I is making progress in the control of nanometric semiconductor materials to improve electronic devices

Innovations in semiconductor materials are redefining the way electronic and technological devices are designed. In this context, Professor Juan Ignacio Climente Plasencia, from the Universitat Jaume I, is leading a research project, framed within the 2021 State Plan for Scientific Research, which seeks to understand and manipulate the electronic properties of colloidal nanosheets. These semiconducting structures, whose behaviour is governed by quantum mechanics, have the potential to significantly improve the generation and transmission of light, as well as the development of innovative electronic devices.

The project has made several advances in the design of these materials. Strategies have been developed to modify the electronic structure of nanosheets in a controlled way, such as the introduction of electrical charges to adjust the magnetic and optical properties, or the creation of complex heterostructures that allow the way in which electrons and holes are combined to be modified, thus improving efficiency in optoelectronic applications. One of the most outstanding discoveries has been the demonstration of nanosheets that can emit two different colours of light depending on the configuration of the materials, a phenomenon that opens up new perspectives in the design of precision screens and lasers.

Researchers have also made progress in the study of materials with topological properties, which could give rise to new types of quantum devices. A topological insulator is a material that, despite not conducting electricity inside, does so efficiently at its surface without losing energy. This property makes it especially useful for quantum computing and other advanced electronic technologies that need faster and more efficient materials. For this reason, the initial results have confirmed that it is possible to induce a transition from conventional insulator to topological insulator in nanosheets of certain semiconductor materials, which opens the door to new applications in sensors and high-performance computing.

The project is almost complete and has made it possible to demonstrate the objectives initially set. Now the challenge lies with the chemical synthesists, who have to produce HgTe nanosheets of the right thickness because they exhibit topological properties, and also with the Scanning Tunneling Microscopy specialists, who have to load these nanosheets electron by electron to verify that the filling of electronic layers is different to that found in natural atoms.

Juan Ignacio Climente Plasencia, professor at the Universitat Jaume I, coordinates the Quantum Chemistry Group, a leader in the study of low-dimensional semiconductor materials such as quantum dots, nanocrystals and nanolayers. This group applies advanced quantum chemistry and solid state physics techniques to understand and predict the behaviour of these nanostructures, working closely with international collaborators to promote the development of new materials and technologies.

This project highlights the capacity of the Universitat Jaume I to lead cutting-edge research with a global impact. The advances made are not only proof of the commitment to innovative research, but also a step forward in placing science at the service of society, with solutions that could transform the way we interact with technology.

These results form part of the PID2021-128659NB-I00 project, funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/  and FEDER/UE.