Experimental condensed matter research is undergoing a revolution. Before, the need for 3D crystalline samples with a given structure and doping set stringent requirements for realization of the desired properties. Now, it is possible to create tunable 2D samples in the lab, overcoming the previous limitations and speeding up the research. Here, I will show how we implemented this approach using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) to design and realize van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures. The vdW nature of the MBE grown materials allowed us to combine different physical properties without affecting them. I will present two results, where we artificially created phases of matter central to the condensed matter research. The first one is a realization of topological superconductivity by combining a layered superconductor with a monolayer vdW ferromagnet [1][2]. In the second part, I will show how we created heavy fermions by combining monolayer vdW metallic and magnetic materials [3]. These results demonstrate the advantages of the designer approach and open new possibilities in their respective fields.

References

1. Kezilebieke, S., Huda, M.N., Vaňo, V. et al. Topological superconductivity in a van der Waals heterostructure. Nature 588, 424–428 (2020).
2. Kezilebieke, S., Vaňo, V. Huda, M.N. et al. Moiré-Enabled Topological Superconductivity. Nano Lett. 22, 326 (2022).
3. Vaňo, V., Amini, M., Ganguli, S.C. et al. Artificial heavy fermions in a van der Waals heterostructure. Nature 599, 582–586 (2021).