Dept Theory

Researchers at ETH Zurich and the Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter (MPSD) have shown, for the first time with very high time and spatial resolution, that electrons in certain two-dimensional materials only follow the motion of the atomic nuclei with a delay. This insight could lead to the development of novel electronic devices in the future. more

Researchers at the Max-Planck-Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter (MPSD) and partner institutes have developed a general and experimentally realistic method to create square-lattice moiré materials by twisting two-dimensional semiconductors with rectangular unit cells by 90 degrees. This simple geometric recipe produces moiré patterns with square symmetry and flat, isolated electronic bands that map onto a tunable square-lattice Hubbard model—the theoretical framework underpinning magnetism and high-temperature superconductivity. The approach works across a broad class of materials and offers powerful knobs to explore correlated-electron phases in a clean, gate-tunable platform. more

A joint team of scientists from Cornell University, Stanford University and the Max-Planck-Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter (MPSD) in Hamburg have shown that moiré patterns can move coherently when illuminated with light. Their study reveals ultrafast atomic twisting in 2D materials, overturning the existing view that light only causes random heating of the material. This work opens a new pathway for controlling electronic behavior with light in next-generation opto-electronic devices. This work has now been published in Nature. more

Three Directors of the Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter (MPSD), Angel Rubio, Jie Shan and Kin Fai have been selected as Highly Cited Researchers 2025 by Clarivate. more

Quantum materials are a fascinating platform for future technologies, as they host a variety of exotic phenomena beyond the reach of classical physics. Among them, van der Waals heterostructures stand out: They are created by stacking different two-dimensional layers that can be only one atom thick. These structures are remarkably easy to manipulate, offering unprecedented tunability and a vast realm for exploration. A team from the Max-Planck-Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter (MPSD) and Columbia University has found that van der Waals heterostructures can naturally serve as cavities for long-wavelength terahertz (THz) light. This work has been published in Nature Physics. more