1. Charge Transfer in 2D Heterostructures
Two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals heterostructures enable precise control over interlayer interactions, including charge-transfer processes that govern their optoelectronic properties.
In this project, students will fabricate and optically characterize heterostructures composed of transition-metal dichalcogenides and related layered materials in order to investigate interlayer charge transfer. The experimental work will include sample preparation by mechanical exfoliation and stacking, photoluminescence and absorption spectroscopy as functions of temperature and electric and magnetic fields, as well as analysis of the resulting charge-transfer dynamics. Both BSc and MSc students are welcome, and the scope of the project will be adjusted according to the student’s level and progress.
contact -> Dr Arka Karmakar (Arka.Karmakar@fuw.edu.pl)

2. Excitonic Landscape of 2D Janus Crystals
Janus transition-metal dichalcogenides, characterized by broken out-of-plane mirror symmetry, exhibit a rich excitonic landscape with unique dipole moments and spin-valley properties.
In this project, students will investigate the excitonic states of selected Janus monolayers and few-layer structures using optical spectroscopy. The experimental work will include preparation of encapsulated samples, temperature- and magnetic-field-dependent photoluminescence, reflectance, and Raman measurements, as well as analysis of the resulting excitonic spectra. The project is suitable for both BSc and MSc thesis students, with the depth of the analysis and experimental involvement adjusted to the student’s background and progress.
contact -> Dr Arka Karmakar (Arka.Karmakar@fuw.edu.pl)

3. Raman Spectroscopy of Thin Layers of Transition-Metal Dichalcogenide Alloys
In recent years, alloys of different transition-metal dichalcogenides, such as WS_xS_2-x or Mo_xW_1-xSe₂, have been fabricated and investigated, but their optical properties have not yet been fully explored. The main advantage of transition-metal dichalcogenide alloys is the possibility of tuning the spectral range in which light emission and absorption occur by modifying the relative proportions of the constituent elements in a given alloy (x).
As part of this laboratory project, monolayer samples of transition-metal dichalcogenide alloys encapsulated in hBN will be fabricated. The resulting structures will be characterized using optical microscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Their optical response will then be investigated using absorption and emission experiments as functions of temperature and magnetic field applied both in the plane of the sample and perpendicular to it.
contact -> Prof. Adam Babiński (Adam.Babinski@fuw.edu.pl), Dr hab. Maciej Molas (Maciej.Molas@fuw.edu.pl)

4. Electroluminescence from Heterostructures of Layered Materials
Layered materials have attracted considerable interest among researchers. Owing to the weak van der Waals interactions between individual layers, bulk crystals can be exfoliated to obtain atomically thin layers.
In this laboratory project, tunnel-diode structures based on heterostructures of layered materials will be investigated. The structures will incorporate materials from the families of transition-metal dichalcogenides, metal monochalcogenides, and chromium trihalides, with electrical contacts formed using graphene. Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) will serve as the tunneling barrier. The samples are fabricated at the National University of Singapore in the group of Dr Maciej Koperski. The main experimental technique used in the project will be electroluminescence spectroscopy.
contact -> MSc Grzegorz Krasucki (Grzegorz.Krasucki@fuw.edu.pl), Dr hab. Maciej Molas (Maciej.Molas@fuw.edu.pl)

5. Magnetic Layered Materials under Extreme Conditions
The main focus of this project is on layered magnetic materials such as CrSBr, VOCl, and CrOCl. These materials exhibit two fundamental types of magnetic interactions: ferromagnetism and antiferromagnetism, which arise from the relative alignment of spins within and between the layers and are associated with the presence or absence of spontaneous magnetization in the absence of an external magnetic field. Owing to their crystal structure, with weak van der Waals interactions between individual layers, thin flakes down to the monolayer limit can be prepared by mechanical exfoliation and transferred onto silicon substrates (90 nm SiO₂/Si).
As part of this laboratory project, the student will actively participate in the preparation and alignment of the experimental setup and become familiar with the basic optical components used in Raman spectroscopy. Temperature-dependent Raman measurements will then be performed to investigate the magnetic ordering in the studied samples.
contact -> MSc Chinmay Mohanty (Chinmay.Mohanty@fuw.edu.pl), Dr hab. Maciej Molas (Maciej.Molas@fuw.edu.pl)