The Nanoscale and Quantum Phenomena Institute (NQPI) Seminar Series is pleased to welcome Lottie Murray, University of Delaware, as our featured speaker on Thursday, March 5 at 4:10 p.m. All seminars take place in CLIPPINGER 194 and are also accessible virtually via Teams.

Title:  Toward Predictive Control of Quantum Emission in Strain-Engineered Two-Dimensional Materials

Abstract: Two-dimensional (2D) materials have emerged as promising platforms for quantum photonics due to their tunable electronic structure and ability to host strain-localized quantum emitters. However, practical implementation requires not only emission tunability, but also environmental stability, reproducibility, and predictive control. Gallium selenide (GaSe) is investigated as a strain-tunable 2D semiconductor with potential for quantum applications. The optical evolution of GaSe is first examined to identify degradation mechanisms that limit long-term stability. Building on this foundation, spatially resolved photoluminescence (PL) mapping of strained GaSe flakes enables quantitative characterization of bandgap modulation and strain sensitivity across patterned substrates. To move beyond empirical strain tuning, physics-based simulations are utilized to understand the quantitative relationship between induced strain and bandgap. Both the PL mapping and simulations are integrated with data-driven modeling to establish a pathway toward predictive control of strain-induced emission shifts. This combined experimental and computational framework reduces reliance on computationally intensive simulations while enabling estimation of spatial strain distributions directly from optical measurements. Together, these results establish design principles for developing stable, strain-engineered 2D material platforms and advance efforts toward predictable quantum emission in scalable systems.