DoP Colloquium - Marko Kralj

Atomically thin materials in epitaxial relationships: holding control in 2D
(Marko Kralj - Institute of Physics, Zagreb)

Nearly 15 years after the Nobel Prize in Physics recognized the discovery of graphene, research on atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) materials remains exceptionally active. Current studies address strong correlation effects in twisted heterostructures, intrinsic 2D magnetism, topological phases, excitonic phenomena, and transient quasiparticle dynamics. In this talk, I will focus on the unique opportunities and challenges presented by epitaxial 2D materials—a direction in which our research group has made internationally recognized contributions, particularly through nano-scale spectroscopic and microscopic investigations. Although epitaxial systems inherently interact with their substrates, they offer a high degree of tunability in terms of crystallographic orientation, strain, defect engineering, doping, and controlled vertical or lateral stacking. I will present case studies on the growth and engineering of epitaxial graphene, as well as on tunable heterostructures involving transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs). Finally, I will discuss the synthesis and prospects of emerging 2D systems such as epitaxial borophene.