< Previous8 ARC CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE IN FUTURE LOW-ENERGY ELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGIES 01 02 10 05 JANUARY • Hosted International Physics Summer School on Topological Matter in Canberra MAY • Senator Simon Birmingham visted FLEET at UOW • First showcase at Melbourne Knowledge Week • Centre mentoring programs implemented FEBRUARY • Hosted international ferroelectric materials workshop in Sydney • Co-hosted FLEET- MacDiarmid collaborative workshop in New Zealand • PIs Shuyun Zhou and Pu Yu visited Monash, UNSW and UOW OCTOBER • Jared Cole as new Chief Investigator • YouRforum “Got PhD, What Next?” in Sydney • Industry engagement showcase with MEMSI in Melbourne • Co-hosted Conference on Signatures of Topology in Condensed Matter in Italy • Centre outreach training in Melbourne JUNE • The FLEET Centre launched • Centre Strategic planning workshop in Melbourne • Co-hosted International Workshop on Topological Structures in Ferroic Materials in Brazil • Co-hosted ECR training workshop Idea Factory in Queensland 03 MARCH • Published first FLEET Annual Report • Equity & Diversity event guidelines established 06 DECEMBER • FLEET 2018 Annual Workshop • ECR Nature editorial workshop • FLEET Advisory Meeting • Hosted International Conference on 2D Materials and Technologies (ICON2D-Mat) in Melbourne • Hosted 2nd international ferroelectric materials workshop in Sydney • Advisors Ali Yazdani, Luigi Colombo and AI Shaffique Adam visited UNSW • Advisor Ali Yazdani and PIs Barbaros Oezylmaz, Victor Galitski, Jim Hone and AI Bent Weber visited Monash • PI Ian Spielman visited Swinburne 11 04 08 APRIL • MP Adam Bandt visted FLEET at RMIT 12 NOVEMBER • Women in FLEET fellowship recruitment began • PI David Neilson visted UNSW • Hosted AIP lab tour at RMIT AUGUST • First FLEET-wide live-streamed seminar • AI Shaffique Adam visited Monash and UNSW 09 SEPTEMBER • Centre strategic plan completed • First Centre equity survey • Contributed to Australian Academy of Science Women in STEM Decadal Plan 07 JULY • Centre outreach training in Sydney • PI Victor Gurarie visited Monash and Swinburne 2018 HIGHLIGHTS9 FLEET 2018 ANNUAL REPORT HIGHLIGHT ACHIEVEMENTS FEBRUARY Dr Harley Scammell (UNSW) awarded Fulbright Scholarship to work at Harvard University APRIL A/Prof Qiaoliang Bao (Monash) awarded the Technology Ambassador Fellowship by Australian National Fabrication Facility – Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication JUNE Centre Launch (see p78) AUGUST Prof Kourosh Kalantar-zadeh (UNSW/RMIT) named an Australian Research Council (ARC) Laureate Fellow OCTOBER Prof Jared Cole (RMIT, shown left) promoted to FLEET CI and full professor Three FLEET ECRs in ten-person team nominated by Australian Academy of Science for the 2019 Lindau Nobel meeting: Hareem Khan (RMIT), Dr Matt Reeves (UQ) and Dr Eli Estrecho (ANU) NOVEMBER Three members named in Clarivate highly-cited researchers: Prof Michael Fuhrer (Monash), Prof Kourosh Kalantar-zadeh (UNSW/RMIT) and A/Prof Qiaoliang Bao (Monash) Yonatan Ashlea Alava awarded UNSW School of Physics Research Expo Poster Prize Ali Zavabeti completed PhD with nine FLEET publications DECEMBER Honours student Bernard Field won Rodney Turner Prize for Best Honours Thesis in Physics and Astronomy and JJ McNeill Prize for Top Honours Student in Physics (Monash)10 ARC CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE IN FUTURE LOW-ENERGY ELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGIES EXECUTIVE REPORT FLEET grew and strengthened throughout 2018, and now comprises 20 chief investigators, 21 partner investigators, 45 research fellows and more than 70 students. CUTTING EDGE CAPABILITIES FLEET continued to build new experimental capabilities: the toroidal ARPES analyser at the Australian Synchrotron saw its first experimental runs; and van der Waals heterostructures – stacks of atomically-thin materials – were assembled into devices at RMIT and Monash universities. This development of cutting-edge laboratory capability continues into 2019: a quantum gas microscope capable of imaging individual atoms in cold-atom condensates is being developed at Swinburne; a suite of cryostats for electric and magnetic measurements at ultra-low temperatures and ultra-high magnetic fields is arriving soon at RMIT and Monash; and ultra-fast scanning tunnelling microscopy is being developed at Monash. RESEARCH RESULTS 2018 was the first full year of FLEET operations, and the Centre’s scientific outputs accelerated, with much to report: • FLEET’s topological materials team (Research theme 1) has made significant strides towards a topological transistor, demonstrating for the first time electric field–controlled switching of a material from topological insulator to conventional insulator. The experiments on atomically-thin layers of Na 3 Bi showed very large band gaps (400 meV and 100 meV respectively) in topological and conventional states. This indicates that room-temperature operation may be possible, and brings the major FLEET milestone of achieving topological switching at room temperature closer than originally expected (see case study p26). • FLEET’s exciton superfluid team (Research theme 2) demonstrated a new capability to measure exciton- polariton condensate formation with unprecedented time resolution in a single-shot mode. This work revealed the dynamics of individual condensate events for the first time; previously, individual results were ‘hidden’ in experiments that averaged many events (see p32). • The effort to move exciton-polariton condensates to two-dimensional (2D) materials and higher temperatures is proceeding as a combined effort with the nano- device fabrication team, with progress in fabricating microcavities and integrating them with 2D materials. • The nano-device fabrication team (Enabling technology B) also demonstrated an unprecedented new ability to confine strong and long-lived nanoscale light fields (plasmons) in the atomically-thin material MoO 3 , offering intriguing new possibilities for light- switched materials. • FLEET’s light-transformed materials theme (Research theme 3), a unique collaboration between theorists and experimentalists working both in condensates of ultra-cold atoms and solid-state 2D materials, is progressing in all fronts: a theoretical understanding of the curious phenomenon of ‘negative mass’ was developed (see p38) ; cold-atom condensates confined in 2D were shown to exhibit a quantum anomaly associated with symmetry breaking in the presence of strong interactions (see p36) ; and FLEET researchers carried out their first experiments to demonstrate engineering the states of electrons in 2D using ultra-fast laser pulses. • Researchers in the atomically-thin materials theme (Enabling technology A) serendipitously discovered that In 2 Se 3 harbours room-temperature ferroelectricity, making it only the second-known 2D ferroelectric. • A process developed by FLEET to make 2D metal oxides on the surface of liquid metals was shown to be useful for making low-cost water filters (see p42). These types of discoveries show that the benefits of discovery-based research extend beyond the focused objectives of the Centre, and will have important impacts in a diverse range of fields. MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR11 FLEET 2018 ANNUAL REPORT NEW INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS Establishing close and synergistic links with international partners is an important ingredient in FLEET’s success. FLEET’s partnership network expanded significantly in 2018: • Profs Andrea Perali and David Neilson of the University of Camerino in Italy, long-time collaborators with FLEET Deputy Director Alex Hamilton, add critical expertise on the theory of exciton superfluids. • FLEET’s fruitful relationship with Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, expanded with the Centre welcoming Prof Shuyun Zhou (expert on the electronic structure of novel 2D materials) and Prof Pu Yu (expert on emergent phenomena at 2D interfaces of correlated electron systems). • Prof Grzegorz Sek of Wroclaw University of Science and Technology in Poland, a specialist in novel epitaxial nanostructures for nanophotonics, opto- electronics and sensing, adds his expertise to the effort in exciton-polariton condensation in FLEET. • Prof Hai-Qing Lin directs the Beijing Computational Science Research Center (CSRC) in China and connects FLEET to CSRC’s large multidisciplinary effort in computational science and condensed matter research. FLEET continues to explore additional fruitful partnerships: 2018 saw two joint workshops in Australia and New Zealand with the MacDiarmid Institute, New Zealand’s premier materials science centre. SCIENTIFIC LEADERSHIP Beyond the scientific achievements, FLEET aims to change the culture of research in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. While some progress was achieved in 2018, the difficulty of achieving FLEET’s goal of at least 30% representation of women across all levels of the Centre was clear. Of particular concern was the fact that only 20% of research fellows hired were women. The rate was even worse for the many fellows who were appointed directly from existing roles at nodes – only 14% of these were women. This is further evidence of the typical pattern that sees the proportion of women falling at each succeeding career stage. To boost our representation of women, FLEET has directed strategic funding to advertise two women- only fellowships across the Centre. These new, widely-advertised positions avoid the problem of highly-focused searches, which often find very few respondents. This is the first such initiative for a Centre funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC), and the response has been very high, with almost 70 applicants. Such interest suggests that we are indeed locating talent overlooked in previous, targeted searches. Elsewhere, FLEET has received overwhelmingly positive feedback for its family-friendly conference policies. Many participants brought families to the Centre’s two annual workshops, and the FLEET-organised International Conference on 2D Materials, all of which included free child care for participants. In 2018, FLEET developed an equity policy to apply to all events sponsored by FLEET, which will help spread inclusive policies well beyond the Centre. FLEET continues to offer excellent training and mentorship opportunities for all its members. In 2018, FLEET organised a YouRforum workshop on career development, was a key participant in the ANU Summer School on Topological Matter, joined with the EQUS Centre (the ARC Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems) to run the Idea Factory, and hosted a paper-writing masterclass by Nature editor Luke Fleet (no relation!). Also critical to FLEET’s mission is bringing an understanding of the challenges addressed by FLEET, and the new science FLEET is using, to students and the public at large. FLEET’s outreach activities in 2018 included more than 1,500 hours of activity by Centre personnel, reaching over 2,000 school students and over 11,000 members of the public. The FLEET superconducting Mobius strip – demonstrating topology and dissipationless conduction in a mesmerising fashion – is a smash hit with everyone who sees it. It has now been duplicated, with the original going to Scienceworks museum, and new, upgraded versions now captivating audiences in Victoria and New South Wales (see p76). FLEET has made good progress in improving gender balance through enhancing systemic support for women and early career researchers. Professor Cathy Foley Chief Scientist, CSIRO FLEET Advisory CommitteeFLEET is pursuing the following research themes to develop systems in which electrical current can flow with near-zero resistance: > Topological materials > Exciton superfluids > Light-transformed materials The above approaches are enabled by the following technologies: > Atomically-thin materials > Nanodevice fabrication INNOVATE 0 2 FLEET Research Fellow Karina Hudson (UNSW) uses sensitive nanodevices to study spin-orbit interaction in topological insulators.13 FLEET 2018 ANNUAL REPORT $4.1 MILLION $10.3 MILLION ADDITIONAL INCOME SECURED FOR FLEET VALUE IN RESEARCH GRANTS AWARDED TO FLEET INVESTIGATORS 20 2113 39 44 CHIEF INVESTIGATORS PARTNER INVESTIGATORS SCIENTIFIC ASSOCIATE INVESTIGATORS RESEARCH FELLOWS (FULL TIME EQUIVALENT) HIGHER DEGREE RESEARCH (HDR) STUDENTS PEER- REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS ARTICLES WITH IMPACT FACTOR 7-10 PRESENTATIONS TO THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY ARTICLES WITH IMPACT FACTOR >10 INVITED PRESENTATIONS AT INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS 642121934314 ARC CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE IN FUTURE LOW-ENERGY ELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGIES FLEET THEMES RESEARCH THEME 1: TOPOLOGICAL MATERIALS FLEET’s first research theme seeks electrical current flow with near- zero resistance based on a paradigm shift in materials science that yielded ‘topological insulators’. Topological insulators conduct electricity only along their edges, and strictly in one direction, without the ‘back- scattering’ that dissipates energy in conventional electronics. See p24 RESEARCH THEME 2: EXCITON SUPERFLUIDS FLEET’s second research theme uses a quantum state known as a superfluid to achieve electrical current flow with minimal wasted dissipation of energy. In a superfluid, scattering is prohibited by quantum statistics, so charge carriers can flow without resistance. Superfluids may be formed by excitons (electrons bound to ‘holes’). See p28 RESEARCH THEME 3: LIGHT- TRANSFORMED MATERIALS FLEET’s third research theme represents a paradigm shift in material engineering, in which materials are temporarily forced out of equilibrium. For example, zero- resistance paths for electrical current can be created using short, intense bursts of light, temporarily forcing matter to adopt a new, distinct topological state. See p34 ENABLING TECHNOLOGY A: ATOMICALLY- THIN MATERIALS Each of FLEET’s three research themes is heavily enabled by the science of novel, atomically-thin, two-dimensional (2D) materials. These materials can be as thin as just one single layer of atoms, with resulting unusual and useful electronic properties. To provide these materials FLEET draws on extensive expertise in materials synthesis in Australia and internationally. See p40 ENABLING TECHNOLOGY B: NANODEVICE FABRICATION FLEET’s research sits at the very boundary of what is possible in condensed- matter physics. At the nano scale, nanofabrication of functioning devices will be key to the Centre’s success. Nano-device fabrication and characterisation links many of FLEET’s groups and nodes with diverse fields of expertise such as device fabrication or measurement. See p46 FLEET is pursuing the following research themes to develop systems in which electrical current can flow with near-zero resistance: These research approaches are enabled by the following technologies:15 FLEET 2018 ANNUAL REPORT FLEET CHIEF INVESTIGATORS BY THEME16 ARC CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE IN FUTURE LOW-ENERGY ELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGIES CHIEF INVESTIGATORS LAN WANG Node leader, RMIT Leading Enabling technology B, Lan also directs study of high- temperature quantum anomalous Hall systems in Research theme 1 and synthesis of novel 2D materials for Enabling technology A. ELENA OSTROVSKAYA Node leader, ANU Leading Research theme 2, Elena directs theoretical and experimental research on exciton and exciton- polariton Bose-Einstein condensation and superfluidity near room temperature. MATTHEW DAVIS Node leader, UQ Within Research theme 3, Matthew studies transitions between novel non-equilibrium states of matter, focusing on relaxation in non- equilibrium and destructive effects of coupling to the environment. XIAOLIN WANG Node leader, UOW Directing Enabling technology A, Xiaolin investigates charge and spin effects in magnetic topological insulators, and leads fabrication of FLEET’s single-crystal bulk and thin-film samples. CHRIS VALE Node leader, Swinburne Chris synthesises and characterises topological phenomena in 2D, ultra- cold fermionic atomic gases, investigating new forms of topological matter within Research theme 3. KRIS HELMERSON Monash Heading Research theme 3, Kris uses ultra- cold atoms in an optical lattice to investigate driven Floquet systems, and topological states in multidimensional extensions of the kicked quantum rotor. MICHAEL FUHRER Director, Node leader, Monash University Michael synthesises and studies new, ultra-thin topological Dirac semimetals and two-dimensional (2D) topological insulators with large bandgaps within Research theme 1. A pioneer of the study of electronic properties of 2D materials, Michael is an ARC Laureate Fellow, Fellow of the American Physics Society, and Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. ALEX HAMILTON Deputy Director, Node leader, UNSW Alex leads Research theme 1 and develops new techniques to fabricate and study both natural and artificially engineered topological materials. An internationally- recognised expert on 2D and nanoscale electronic conduction, and hole behaviour in semiconductor nanostructures, Alex is a UNSW Scientia Professor and a Fellow of the American Physical Society. I am motivated to improve the quality of modern life by developing next-generation, high- performance electronic or optical computing devices. A/Prof Qiaoliang Bao FLEET Chief Investigator, Monash University17 FLEET 2018 ANNUAL REPORT QIAOLIANG BAO Monash Qiaoliang investigates waveguide-coupled 2D semiconductors in Research theme 2 and plasmon-coupled 2D materials and devices in Enabling technology B, focusing on effects of light-matter interactions. NIKHIL MEDHEKAR Monash Nikhil investigates the electronic structure of atomically-thin topological insulators and interfaces in Research theme 1 via quantum mechanical simulations on massively- parallel, high-performance computing systems. OLEH KLOCHAN UNSW Oleh leads the fabrication and measurements of artificially-designed topological insulators using conventional semiconductors in Research theme 1. OLEG SUSHKOV UNSW Oleg leads two theoretical investigations within Research theme 1: artificial nanofabricated materials and laterally-modulated oxide interfaces. KOUROSH KALANTAR-ZADEH UNSW / RMIT Kourosh develops novel 2D semiconducting materials and fabrication techniques for advanced devices, using electron and ion-beam lithography for Enabling technology B. MEERA PARISH Monash Meera investigates the robustness of excitonic superfluidity to an electron- hole density imbalance in bilayers in Research theme 2, searching for exotic forms of superfluidity. She also studies impurities dynamically coupled to fermion-pair superfluids in Research theme 3. AGUSTIN SCHIFFRIN Monash Agustin investigates optically-driven topological phases using ultra-fast photonics, pump-probe spectroscopy and time-resolved scanning probe microscopy within Research themes 1 and 3. NAGARAJAN ‘NAGY’ VALANOOR UNSW Nagy explores oxides for low-energy electronic devices founded on topological materials in Enabling technology A and synthesises ferroelectric and ferromagnetic materials for Research themes 1 and 2. JEFF DAVIS Swinburne Jeff uses femtosecond laser pulses in Swinburne’s ultra-fast science facility to modify electronic band structure and realise Floquet topological insulators in 2D materials, within Research themes 2 and 3. JARED COLE RMIT Jared applies quantum theory to study electronic transport in nanostructures and the behaviour of topologically-protected conduction channels in electronic devices. DIMI CULCER UNSW Dimi studies theoretical charge and spin transport in topological materials and artificial graphene with strong spin-orbit coupling within Research theme 1. JAN SEIDEL UNSW Jan uses scanning probe microscopy (SPM) to study complex oxide materials systems for Research themes 1 and 2, and nanoscale SPM patterning in topological materials in Enabling technology B.Next >