"For applications of atomic layers of graphene, especially the possibility of a significantly better standard for electrical resistance." That is how the statement reads as the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences makes Samuel Lara Avila, Senior Researcher in Quantum Device Physics at MC2, this year's recipient of the “Lindbomska award.”
“Lindbomska belöningen” is an award that has been handed out by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm since 1819. It was established by will of academy member Gustaf Aron Lindbom and is given in the form of a medal and a prize sum of SEK 70,000 to individuals who have presented new and important discoveries in the chemical or physical sciences.
Hi and congratulations, Samuel! How does this make you feel?
“I was very happy to read the news of course! Recognitions are always nice to boost the spirit, I think, and even more when they come from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. This recognition also gives a good push to the field of 2D materials, which I think still has a lot to offer, in terms of basic science and applications. I have been working on graphene since 2007, and a lot of colleagues and friends are behind this recognition. So, it’s also a moment to express gratitude to all of them.”
In their statement, the Royal Academy of Sciences expresses that you are awarded “for applications of atomic layers of graphene, especially the possibility of a significantly better standard for electrical resistance." What does this mean in simpler terms?
“Our group at the Quantum Device Physics lab has been working on exploring real-world applications of graphene. And perhaps the most useful one so far is in quantum metrology, as quantum resistance standard. In plain words, we can say that, under certain circumstances, graphene can behave as a very accurate and precise electrical resistor. Its value depends only on the ratio of two fundamental constants, Planck constant and elementary charge, h/e2, which is about 25812,8 Ohm. The graphene quantum resistor provides a highly accurate, stable, and reproducible reference for resistance measurements, which is crucial for various scientific tasks and applications in electronics, telecommunications, and materials science. Other materials can be used for this task, but in graphene it’s easier to achieve more accurate and precise measurements in shorter times, in more relaxed conditions, e.g. higher temperature and lower magnetic field. From a fundamental point of view, the work on graphene as quantum resistance has contributed to our understanding of quantum physics in two-dimensional materials, and has led to the development of other new technologies based on quantum phenomena, for instance in quantum sensing.”
Thanks, Samuel, and congratulations!
- Head of Unit, Microtechnology and Nanoscience