Cong Su

The Atomic Engineering Group aims to develop a method to modify atomic structures using electron beams. Our research covers the following areas:

1. Using electron beams inside transmission electron microscope (TEM) to modify atomic structures on 2D materials, and investigating the interaction between charged particles and atoms;
2. Developing in-situ methods inside TEM and investigating the crystal structures under different conditions;
3. Synthesizing pristine and doped 1D/2D materials using chemical vapor deposition and chemical vapor transport methods;
4. Simulating electronic structure, spectroscopies, and atomic dynamics using first-principles and empirical calculation methods.

• Del Favero Prize (2020)
• Heising-Simons Fellowship (2019)
• Wellington and Irene Loh Fund Fellowship (2014)
• Alpha Nu Sigma (US national honor society of nuclear science) (2014)

• C. Su*, F. Zhang*, S. Kahn*, B. Shevitski, J. Jiang, C. Dai, A. Ungar, J. Park, K. Watanabe, T. Taniguchi, W. Zhang, Z. Tang, J. Kong, F. Wang, M. Crommie, S. G. Louie, S. Aloni, A. Zettl, "Tuning colour centres at a twisted hexagonal boron nitride interface", Nature Materials 21, 896–902 (2022).
• Q. Ji, C. Su*, N. Mao, X. Tian, J.-C. Idrobo, J. Miao, W. A. Tisdale, A. Zettl, J. Li, J. Kong, “Revealing the Brønsted-Evans-Polanyi Relation in Halide-Activated Fast MoS2 Growth Towards Millimeter-Sized 2D Crystals”, Science Advances, 7:eabj3274 (2021).
• P.-C. Shen*, C. Su*, Y. Lin*, A.-S. Chou*, C.-C. Cheng, J.-H. Park, M.-H. Chiu, A.-Y.Lu, H.-L. Tang, M. Tavakoli, G. Pitner, X. Ji, Z. Cai, N. Mao, J. Wang, V. Tung, J. Li, J. Bokor, A. Zettl, C.-I. Wu, T. Palacios, L.-J. Li, and J. Kong, “Ultralow contact resistance between semimetal and monolayer semiconductors”, Nature, 593, 211–217 (2021).
• C. Su*, Z. Yin*, Q-B. Yan*, Z. Wang, H. Lin, L. Sun, W. Xu, T. Yamada, X. Ji, N. Zettsu, K. Teshima, J. H.Warner, M. Dinca, J. Kong, J. Hu, M. Dong, G. Su, and J. Li, “Waterproof molecular monolayer stabilize 2D materials,” PNAS 116, 42 (2019).
• C. Su, M. Tripathi, Q.B. Yan, Z. Wang, Z. Zhang, H. Wang, L. Basile, G. Su, M. Dong, J. Kotakoski, J. Kong,  J.C. Idrobo,  T. Susi,  and J. Li,  “Engineering single-atom dynamics with electron irradiation”, Science Advances, 5:eaav2252 (2019).
• X. Fu*, C. Su*,et al., “Tailoring exciton dynamics by elastic strain-gradient in semi-conductors,” Advanced Materials 26, 2572-2579 (2014).
• C. Su, H. Jiang and J. Feng, “Two-dimensional carbon allotrope with strong electronic anisotropy,” Phys. Rev. B 87, 075453 (2013).