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Jean Heremans

Professor
heremans
Department of Physics (MC 0435)
321 Robeson Hall
850 West Campus Drive
Blacksburg, VA 24061

Awards
National Science Foundation CAREER Award "Mesoscopic spin-dependent transport in two-dimensional systems".
US Department of Energy "Spin-coherent transport under strong spin-orbit interaction".

Heremans' laboratory studies the physics of controllably fabricated semiconductor, metal and organic nanostructures, through their electronic and magnetic properties. Areas of study include spin electronics and spin-dependent, quantum-coherent electronic transport in nano-patterned semiconductor heterostructures; electronic transport in molecular systems; electronic transport in organic semiconductor structures; and magnetic sensor geometries on high-mobility semi- conductors.

The lab utilizes in-house nanoscale fabrication techniques such as electron beam and scanning probe lithographies, and various patterning and deposition techniques. Measurements occur at typically very low excitation levels, low temperatures (0.3 K), and under magnetic fields (up to ∼10 T). Apart from the fabrication equipment, the lab houses measurement cryostats, characterization equipment (SEM, AFM, profilometer, optical microscopes), and equipment for sensitive electronic measurements.

 

Experimental mesoscopic condensed matter physics: electronic, spin-dependent and magnetic properties at the nanoscale

Postdoctoral fellow Dr. Ray Kallaher, graduate students Robert Lillianfeld (PhD, graduated), Yong-Jae Kim (PhD, graduated) and Yao Zhang, undergraduate students Daniel Davis, Joseph Gilpin, and Stefan Green, and Prof. Jean Heremans. Not in the photo are graduate students Martin Rudolph (PhD, graduated), Lingling Xu, Shaola Ren, Yuantao Xie and Dan Osborne.

 

  • quantum nanoscience with spins: spintronics and quantum information processing in low-dimensional systems under strong spin-orbit interaction
  • magnetic sensor geometries on high-mobility solid-state materials
  • electronic transport in molecular systems and organic semiconductors
  • nanoscale fabrication techniques

 

We use two-dimensional electronic systems in InGaAs/InAlAs, InAs/(Al)GaSb and InSb/InAlSb, thin film InSb, and thin film bismuth, to study spin physics and spintronics under strong spin-orbit interaction in mesoscopic geometries. Example projects are: spin-dependent quantum transport, effects of spin on quantum interference and quantum coherence, spin-resolved magnetic focusing, and spin-dependent reflection. InGaAs, InAs, InSb and bismuth further have applications in magnetic sensing due to their high mobility. We also perform experiments on electronic properties of molecular species and organic semiconductors. The lab is equipped with measurement cryostats (helium-three, and variable temperature, magnetic fields to ~10 T), fabrication equipment (electron beam lithography, photolithography, dry etching, thin film deposition), characterization equipment (SEMs, AFM, profilometer, optical microscopes), and equipment for electronic measurements.

 

Graduate student Martin Rudolph
and cadet Gordon Lott with
the semimetals growth chamber.
Quantum interference ring pattern
for AAS measurements, by
electron beam lithography and RIE
on an InAs/AlGaSb heterostructure.
Quantum interference device,
by electron beam lithography and
wet etching on an InSb/InAlSb heterostructure.
Gold electrodes on Si/SiO2 fabricated
by electron beam lithography using
a PMGI/PMMA double layer resist,
for nanoscale organic electronics.
Electrode gap about 20 nm.

 

 


Trajectory

 

  • Ph.D.: Princeton University, 1994
  • Post Doc: Florida State University & The National High Magnetic Field Lab
  • Research Scientist at the Emcore Corporation (III-V narrow-gap semiconductors)
  • Assistant Professor, Ohio University, Department of Physics and Astronomy
  • Associate Professor, Ohio University, Department of Physics and Astronomy
  • Director of the Nanoscale and Quantum Phenomena Institute, Ohio University
  • Associate Professor, Virginia Tech, Department of Physics
  • Present: Professor, Virginia Tech, Department of Physics

 

Research funding past and present, external
NSF CAREER Award
NSF NIRT grant
DOE Basic Energy Sciences grant

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Selected Publications (not complete)
Edwin Barnes, J. J. Heremans, and D. Minic, "Electromagnetic signatures of the chiral anomaly in Weyl semimetals", Physical Review Letters 117, 217204 (2016). Click
Y. Xie, C. Le Priol, and J. J. Heremans, "Geometrical dependence of quantum decoherence in circular arenas with side-wires", J. Phys.: Cond. Matt. 28, 495003 (2016). Click
J. J. Heremans, Y. Xie, S. L. Ren, C. Le Priol, and M. B. Santos, "Mapping electromagnetic dualities via quantum decoherence measurements in 2D materials", Proceedings of the SPIE 9932, 993207-1 (2016). Click
Y. Xie, J. J. Heremans, and M. B. Santos, "Effect of two-dimensional parity symmetry breaking in Aharonov-Bohm interference phenomena", Integrated Ferroelectrics 174, 8 (2016). Click
Y. Kang, Hang Ruan, R. O. Claus, J. J. Heremans, and M. Orlowski, "Observation of quantized and partial quantized conductance in polymer-suspended graphene nanoplatelets", Nanoscale Research Letters 11, 179 (2016), DOI 10.1186/s11671-016-1387-8. Click
M. K. Hudait, M. Clavel, P. S. Goley, Yuantao Xie, and J. J. Heremans, "Magnetotransport Properties of Epitaxial Ge/AlAs Heterostructures Integrated on GaAs and Silicon", ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 7, 22315 (2015). Click
S. L. Ren, J. J. Heremans, C. K. Gaspe, S. Vijeyaragunathan, T. D. Mishima, and M. B. Santos, "Determination of time-reversal symmetry breaking lengths in an InGaAs Sagnac interferometer array", J. Phys.: Cond. Matt. 27, 185801 (2015). Click
Vincent Deo, Yao Zhang, V. Soghomonian, and J. J. Heremans, "Quantum interference measurement of spin interactions in a bio-organic/semiconductor device structure", Scientific Reports 5, 9487; DOI:10.1038/srep09487 (2015). Click
J. J. Heremans, R. L. Kallaher, M. Rudolph, and M. B. Santos, "Magnetoelectric Mapping as Observed in Quantum Coherence Phenomena under Strong Spin-Orbit Interaction", Integrated Ferroelectrics 166, 10 (2015). Click
J. J. Heremans, R. L. Kallaher, M. Rudolph, M. B. Santos, W. Van Roy, and G. Borghs, "Spin-orbit interaction and spin coherence in narrow-gap semiconductor and semimetal wires", Proceedings of the SPIE 9167, 91670-D1 (2014). Click
Yao Zhang, and J. J. Heremans, "Effects of ferromagnetic nanopillars on spin coherence in an InGaAs quantum well", Solid State Communications 177, 36 (2014). Click
Yao Zhang, V. Soghomonian, R. L. Kallaher, and J. J. Heremans, "Antilocalization sensing of interactions between two-dimensional electrons and surface species", Chinese Science Bulletin 59(2), 133 (2014).Click
R. L. Kallaher, J. J. Heremans, W. Van Roy, and G. Borghs, "Spin and phase coherence lengths in InAs wires with diffusive boundary scattering", Physical Review B 88, 205407 (2013). Click
S. L. Ren, J. J. Heremans, C. K. Gaspe, S. Vijeyaragunathan, T. D. Mishima, and M. B. Santos, "Aharonov-Bohm oscillations, quantum decoherence and amplitude modulation in mesoscopic InGaAs/InAlAs rings", J. Phys.: Cond. Matt. 25, 435301 (2013). Click
Yao Zhang, R. L. Kallaher, V. Soghomonian, and J. J. Heremans, "Measurement by antilocalization of interactions between InAs surface electrons and local moments", Physical Review B 87, 054430 (2013). Click
M. Rudolph and J. J. Heremans, "Electronic and quantum phase coherence properties of bismuth thin films", Applied Physics Letters 100, 241601 (2012). Click
J. J. Heremans, J. Zhong, R. Varghese, Gordon T. Yee, and S. Priya, "Finite size effects in nanoscaled multiferroics", Advances and Applications in Electroceramics: Ceramic Transactions 226, 211 (2011). Click
L. L. Xu, Shaola Ren, and J. J. Heremans, "Magnetoelectronics at Edges in Semiconductor Structures: Helical Aharonov-Casher Edge States", Integrated Ferroelectrics 131, 36 (2011). Click
M. Rudolph, and J. J. Heremans, "Spin-orbit interaction and phase coherence in lithographically defined bismuth wires", Physical Review B 83, 205410 (2011). Click
K. Park, J. J. Heremans, V. W. Scarola, and D. Minic, "Robustness of topologically protected surface states in layering of Bi2Te3 thin films", Physical Review Letters 105, 186801 (2010). Click
J. Zhong, J. J. Heremans, D. Viehland, G. T. Yee and S. Priya, Ferromagnetism and spin-glass-like behavior of BiFeO3 nanoparticles, Ferroelectrics 400, 3 (2010). Click
R. L. Kallaher, and J. J. Heremans, "Spin and phase coherence times in Te doped InSb thin films", Physics Procedia 3, 1237 (2010). Click
R. B. Lillianfeld, R. L. Kallaher, J. J. Heremans, Hong Chen, N. Goel, S. J. Chung, M. B. Santos, W. Van Roy, and G. Borghs, "Oscillatory quantum interference effects in narrow-gap semiconductor heterostructures", Physics Procedia 3, 1231 (2010). Click
R. L. Kallaher, J. J. Heremans, N. Goel, S. J. Chung, and M. B. Santos, "Spin-orbit interaction determined by antilocalization in an InSb quantum well", Physical Review B 81, 075303 (2010). Click
R. L. Kallaher, J. J. Heremans, N. Goel, S. J. Chung, and M. B. Santos, "Spin and phase coherence lengths in n-InSb quasi-one-dimensional wires", Physical Review B 81, 035335 (2010). Click
R. L. Kallaher, J. J. Heremans, N. Goel, S. J. Chung, and M. B. Santos, "Spin and phase coherence in quasi-1D InSb wires under strong spin-orbit interaction", Physica E 42, 971 (2010). Click
R. L. Kallaher, and J. J. Heremans, "Spin and phase coherence measured by antilocalization in n-InSb thin films", Physical Review B 79, 075322 (2009). Click
V. Soghomonian and J. J. Heremans, "Characterization of electrical conductivity in a zeolitelike material", Applied Physics Letters 95, 152112 (2009). Click
M. Frazier, J. G. Cates, J. A. Waugh, J. J. Heremans, M. B. Santos, X. Liu, and G. A. Khodaparast, "Photoinduced spin-polarized current in InSb-based structures," Journal of Applied Physics 106, 103513 (2009). Click
J. J. Heremans and Djordje Minic, "Towards a spin dual of the fractional quantum Hall effect", arXiv: 0802.4117v2 [cond-mat.mes-hall, hep-th].
Djordje Minic and J. J. Heremans, "Theory of high-temperature superconductivity and effective gravity", Physical Review B 78, 214501 (2008). Click
J. J. Heremans, Hong Chen, J. A. Peters, J. T. Beardsley, N. Goel, S. J. Chung, M. B. Santos, W. Van Roy, G. Borghs, "Spin-dependent Transverse Magnetic Focusing in InSb- and InAs-based Heterostructures", AIP Conference Proceedings 893, 1287 (2007). Click
Hong Chen, J. A. Peters, Yue Pan, J. J. Heremans, N. Goel, S. J. Chung, M. B. Santos, W. Van Roy, and G. Borghs, "Mesoscopic spin-dependent reflection experiments on InSb- and InAs-based heterostructures", Physica E 34, 374 (2006).
J. A. Peters, Hong Chen, Yue Pan, Yafei Guan, J. J. Heremans, N. Goel, S. J. Chung, M. B. Santos, W. Van Roy, and G. Borghs, "Localization and antilocalization in InSb and InAs antidot lattices", Physica E 34, 363 (2006).
Hong Chen, J. J. Heremans, J. A. Peters, N. Goel, S. J. Chung, and M. B. Santos, "Spin-polarized reflection in a two-dimensional electron system", Applied Physics Letters 86, 032113 (2005). Click
Hong Chen, J. J. Heremans, J. A. Peters, N. Goel, S. J. Chung, and M. B. Santos "Ballistic transport in InSb/InAlSb antidot lattices", Applied Physics Letters 84, 5380 (2004). Click
J. Jo, J. J. Heremans, F. Bradbury, H. Chen and V. Soghomonian "Gate tunable electron injection in submicron pentacene transistors" Nanotechnology 15, 1023 (2004).
A. O. Govorov and J. J. Heremans, "Hydrodynamic effects in interacting Fermi electron jets", Physical Review Letters 92, 26803 (2004). Click
J. Jo, H. J. Kim, Y. Nishihara, H. Suezawa, J. C. Lee, V. Soghomonian and J. J. Heremans, "Modification of silicon optical properties by 250 keV electron irradiation", Japanese Journal of Applied Physics I 43, 1237 (2004).
B. Hartzell, B. McCord, D. Asare, H. Chen, J. J. Heremans and V. Soghomonian, "Comparative current-voltage characteristics of nicked and repaired l-DNA", Applied Physics Letters 82, 4800 (2003). Click
B. Hartzell, B. McCord, D. Asare, H. Chen, J. J. Heremans and V. Soghomonian, "Current-voltage characteristics of diversely disulfide terminated l-DNA" Journal of Applied Physics 94, 2764 (2003). Click
S. A. Solin, Tineke Thio, D. R. Hines and J. J. Heremans "Enhanced room-temperature geometric magnetoresistance in inhomogeneous narrow-gap semiconductors", Science 289, 1530 (2000). Click
M. W. Pelczynski, J. J. Heremans and S. Schwed "Compound semiconductor applications for automotive sensors", Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 607, 65 (2000). Click
J. J. Heremans, S. von Moln�r, D. D. Awschalom and A. C. Gossard "Ballistic electron focusing by elliptic reflecting barriers", Applied Physics Letters 74, 1281 (1999). Click
J. J. Heremans, S. Watts, S. Wirth, X. Yu, E. S. Gillman, K. H. Dahmen and S. von Moln�r "Grain boundary effects on transport in MOCVD-grown, Ca-doped lanthanum manganites", Journal of Applied Physics 83, 7055 (1998).
S. Wirth, J. J. Heremans, S. von Moln�r, M. Field, K. L. Campman, A. C. Gossard and D. D. Awschalom "Magnetic anisotropy in arrays of nanometer-scale iron particles", IEEE Transactions on Magnetics 34, 1105 (1998).
J. J. Heremans, M. Carris, S. Watts, X. Yu, K. H. Dahmen and S. von Moln�r "Characterization of films of La1-xSrxMnO3 grown by means of metal organic chemical vapor deposition", J. Appl. Phys. 81, 4967 (1997).
J. J. Heremans, M. B. Santos, and M. Shayegan "Transverse magnetic focusing and the dispersion of GaAs 2D holes at (311)A heterojunctions", Surf. Sci. 305, 348 (1994).
J. J. Heremans, M. B. Santos, K. Hirakawa and M. Shayegan "Mobility anisotropy of two-dimensional hole systems in (311)A GaAs/AlGaAs heterojunctions", J. Appl. Phys. 76, 1980 (1994).
X. Ying, J. P. Lu, J. J. Heremans, M. B. Santos, M. Shayegan, S. A. Lyon, M. Littman, P. Gross and H. Rabitz "Quantum reflection and transmission of ballistic two-dimensional electrons by a potential barrier", Appl. Phys. Lett. 65, 1154 (1994).
T. S. Lay, J. J. Heremans, Y. W. Suen, M. B. Santos, K. Hirakawa, M. Shayegan and A. Zrenner "High-quality two-dimensional electron system confined in an AlAs quantum well", Appl. Phys. Lett. 62, 3120 (1993).
J. J. Heremans, M. B. Santos and M. Shayegan "Observation of magnetic focusing in two-dimensional hole systems", Appl. Phys. Lett. 61, 1652 (1992). Click
Y. P. Li, D. C. Tsui, J. J. Heremans, J. A. Simmons and G. W. Weimann "Low-frequency noise in transport through quantum point contacts", Appl. Phys. Lett. 57, 774 (1990). Click
T. Sajoto, M. B. Santos, J. J. Heremans and M. Shayegan "Use of superlattices to realize inverted GaAs/AlGaAs heterojunctions with low-temperature mobility of 2x106 cm2/Vs", Appl. Phys. Lett. 54, 840 (1989).
Books and reference works
Contributed Chapter 14 on "Carrier transport in superlattices" to "Survey of Semiconductor Physics", 2nd ed., Karl W. B�er, editor, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 2002.

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