APhMS: EAS Trailblazers Department Seminar

Abstract:

In quantum materials, even a single atom can reshape the local physical landscape, making atomic-level design and observation not just beneficial, but essential. Understanding and controlling material properties at this scale is crucial for advancing physics governed by size- and structure-dependent electronic, magnetic, and optical behaviors. In this talk, I explore how physical properties in low-dimensional systems can be directly visualized, manipulated, and designed using scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). In AgCrP₂S₆, I demonstrate electron-beam-induced tuning of 1D magnetic chains embedded in a 2D vdW matrix. In CrSBr, electron-solid interaction induces structural transformations that depend on crystallographic orientation, highlighting the role of directional atomic migration. I then show how time-resolved STEM can extract kinetic parameters underlying such transformations. Extending this approach to 2D/3D heterostructures, I discuss how STEM visualizes atomically weak interfaces and reveals structure–function relationships relevant to device performance. Together, these examples lay the groundwork for designing quantum material behavior at the atomic scale.

More about the Speaker:

Jane Park is a Ph.D. candidate in Materials Science and Engineering at MIT, advised by Prof. Frances Ross. She received her B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her research focuses on atomic-scale engineering of 2D van der Waals (vdW) quantum materials and 2D/3D heterostructures using in-situ scanning transmission electron microscopy. She develops methods to sculpt atomic lattices and control spin textures through electron beam–solid interactions, offering new routes to manipulate quantum behavior. Her work has earned awards from the International Microscopy Congress, Materials Research Society, and Microscopy Society of America, including Best Oral and Poster Presentation awards. She is also a recipient of the MathWorks Engineering Fellowship. Beyond research, she held leadership roles as copresident of MIT Women in Materials Science and as a member of the Graduate Materials Council outreach committee.