Modern sensors are reaching a fundamental limit. Their performance is tied to the carrier mobility and band structure of the material they are made from, so improving sensitivity usually means more complex fabrication and heavier doping.
We take a different route. Instead of pushing a single material harder, we engineer the quantum interface between two semiconductors. At this interface, light separates electrons and holes, and mechanical strain reshapes the energy bands that carry them. By controlling both effects at once, we can amplify a sensing signal far beyond what either could achieve alone.
This is optomechanics – the quantum physics of light, coupled with the mechanical response of semiconductors. Our goal is to turn this fundamental science into practical, scalable sensing technology with real-world impact, and to train the next-generation researchers who will carry it forward.
The material is where sensing begins. We synthesise and engineer 2D semiconductors and their heterostructures – tuning composition, layer number, strain, and defects to shape the electronic and mechanical properties we need. Using controlled growth, transfer, and stacking techniques, we build clean interfaces between dissimilar materials and characterise them down to the atomic scale. Discovering and refining these material platforms is the foundation on which every device is built.
Our core science. We stack 2D semiconductors onto silicon carbide and silicon to build heterojunctions with tailored architectures. Under light, electrons and holes separate across the junction; under strain, the bandgap shifts and carriers repopulate with different mass and mobility. Learning to control this movement at the quantum interface is what makes everything else possible.
A well-designed junction generates its own photovoltage, so our sensors can operate without an external power supply. By coupling the piezoresistive, piezo-phototronic, and pyroelectric effects, we push sensitivity to new levels while keeping the device simple and energy-autonomous – ideal for wearable and remote applications.
Silicon carbide is chemically inert, mechanically robust, and grows on standard silicon wafers, making it an outstanding platform for micro-electromechanical systems. We use established micro- and nanofabrication methods to design, package, and test SiC sensors that keep working where conventional silicon devices fail – from high temperature to high radiation.
The point of all this is impact. The thinness and flexibility of 2D materials let us build sensors that conform to the body and detect subtle physiological signals. We are translating our quantum interface platform into flexible, ultrasensitive devices for health monitoring and beyond.