Federal Grant Award Summary

Arizona State University (ASU) received a $419,790 CAREER Project Grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Materials Research under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049), effective July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2031. The award funds research to investigate how real-space topological textures at the nanometer scale control the confinement and dynamics of excitons—quasiparticles sensitive to external perturbations—in twisted two-dimensional semiconductor heterostructures, specifically homobilayer transition metal dichalcogenides such as tungsten diselenide. The research aims to establish fundamental understanding of how topological heterogeneity modulates excitonic states across multiple length scales, with potential applications in developing low-power excitonic devices for computing.

Concurrent with the research objectives, ASU will deliver integrated educational outreach programs designed to broaden access to materials science and quantum physics concepts among K-12 students. These include "Materials Your Mind" (middle school) and "Let's Code Materials" (high school), which employ visual arts and coding-based projects to introduce core topology, lattice, and exciton concepts. The educational initiatives will be sustained and scaled through partnerships with existing ASU outreach platforms, with the explicit goal of increasing undergraduate recruitment into materials science and engineering disciplines.