Research

At Utrecht University I develop the research area of Quantum Materials, a class of materials in which quantum mechanical effects are visible at the macroscopic scale. They provide unprecedented opportunities to realize a new technology based on quantum effects, with impact on low-dissipation electronics, photovoltaics, quantum information and, in general, quantum engineering. My major contribution are in developing and using first-principles theory and computational methods to investigate:

  • topological materials
  • spin-proximity interaction
  • theoretical spectroscopy, exciton physics
  • quantum transport
  • topological superconductivity

Research lines

Methods: Density Functional Theory (DFT), Non-Equilibrium Green’s Function (NEGF), many-body perturbation theory (GW approximation, Bethe-Salpeter Equation)

Current and Past Collaborations (alphabetical)

  • Prof. Jean-Christophe Charlier (Universite’ catholique de Louvain)
  • Dr. Monica Garcia-Mota (SIMUNE Atomistics)
  • Prof. Nicole Grobert (Oxford University)
  • Prof. Benoit Hackens (Universite’ catholique de Louvain)
  • Prof. Riccardo Mazzarello (RWTH Aachen University)
  • Prof. Carola Meyer (Osnabrück University)
  • Prof. Markus Morgenstern (RWTH Aachen University)
  • Prof. Pablo Ordejon (ICN2)
  • Prof. Stephan Roche (ICN2)
  • Prof. Christoph Stampfer (RWTH Aachen University)
  • Prof. Sergio Valenzuela (ICN2)
  • Prof. Matthieu J. Verstraete (Liège University)

Codes

My research work is or has been performed using the following codes:

SIESTA/TranSIESTA, ABINIT, QuantumEspresso + YAMBO, VASP, and SMEAGOL (quantum electron transport).

The images presented in this web site have been produced with XCrySDen or VESTA visualization software.