Sergio C. de la Barrera
Updated
https://barrera.physics.utoronto.ca McLennan Physical Laboratories, Office 1011
60 St. George Street
Toronto, ON M5S 1A7
Education
2016 | Ph.D. Physics, Carnegie Mellon University |
2013 | M.S. Physics, Carnegie Mellon University |
2008 | B.S. Nuclear Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville |
Experience
2023 | Assistant Professor, University of Toronto, Department of Physics |
2019–23 |
Postdoctoral Associate,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
Materials Research Laboratory
Advisors: Prof. Pablo Jarillo-Herrero and Prof. Raymond Ashoori
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2016–19 |
Postdoctoral Research Associate,
Carnegie Mellon University,
Department of Physics
Advisor: Prof. Benjamin Hunt
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2011–16 |
Graduate Research Assistant,
Carnegie Mellon University,
Department of Physics
Advisor: Prof. Randall M. Feenstra
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2008–11 |
Nuclear Engineering Associate,
Argonne National Laboratory,
Nuclear Engineering Division
Supervisor: Dr. Raymond Klann
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2007–08 |
Undergraduate Research Assistant,
University of Tennessee, Knoxville,
Scintillation Materials Research Center
Advisor: Dr. Charles Melcher
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Publications
2023 |
Helical trilayer graphene: a moiré platform for strongly-interacting topological bands , , , , , , , , , , , , arXiv: 2310.12204 (2023). |
Magic-angle helical trilayer graphene , , , , , , , Science Advances 9, eadi6063 (2023). |
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Superconductivity and strong interactions in a tunable moiré quasicrystal , , , , , , , , , , , , , Nature 620, 762 (2023). |
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2022 |
Cascade of isospin phase transitions in Bernal-stacked bilayer graphene at zero magnetic field , , , , , , , , Nature Physics 18, 771 (2022). |
2021 |
Direct measurement of ferroelectric polarization in a tunable semimetal , , , , , , , , , , Nature Communications 12, 5298 (2021). |
Highly tunable junctions and non-local Josephson effect in magic-angle graphene tunnelling devices , , , , , , , , Nature Nanotechnology 16, 769 (2021). |
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Superconducting contact and quantum interference between two-dimensional van der Waals and three-dimensional conventional superconductors , , , , , , , , , Phys. Rev. Materials 5, 14001 (2021). |
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2020 |
Unconventional ferroelectricity in moiré heterostructures , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Nature 588, 71 (2020). |
Proximity-induced superconducting gap in the quantum spin Hall edge state of monolayer WTe2 , , , , , , , , Nature Physics 16, 526 (2020). |
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2019 |
Electron Transport in Multidimensional Fuzzy Graphene Nanostructures , , , , , , , , Nano Letters 19, 5335 (2019). |
2018 |
Tuning Ising superconductivity with layer and spin-orbit coupling in two-dimensional transition-metal dichalcogenides , , , , , , , , , , , Nature Communications 9, 1427 (2018). |
Magnitude of the current in 2D interlayer tunneling devices , , , , , Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter 30, 055703 (2018). |
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2017 |
Nanowire-Mesh-Templated Growth of Out-of-Plane Three-Dimensional Fuzzy Graphene , , , , , , , , , ACS Nano 11, 6301 (2017). |
2016 |
Thickness characterization of atomically thin WSe2 on epitaxial graphene by low-energy electron reflectivity oscillations , , , , , , , Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B 34, 04J106 (2016). |
Tuning electronic transport in epitaxial graphene-based van der Waals heterostructures , , , , , , , , , , , Nanoscale 8, 8947 (2016). |
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Formation of hexagonal boron nitride on graphene-covered copper surfaces , , , , , , , , , , , , , Journal of Materials Research 31, 945 (2016). |
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2015 |
Theory of resonant tunneling in bilayer-graphene/hexagonal-boron-nitride heterostructures , , Applied Physics Letters 106, 093115 (2015). |
2014 |
Theory of graphene–insulator–graphene tunnel junctions , , , Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology 32, 04E101 (2014). |
Tunneling characteristics in chemical vapor deposited graphene–hexagonal boron nitride–graphene junctions , , , , , , , , , Applied Physics Letters 104, 123506 (2014). |
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2011 |
Treatment of Shielding in Real-Time Source Tracking Software , , , Nuclear Technololgy 175, 301 (2011). |
2009 |
Tracking of weak radioactive sources in crowded venues , , , , , 2009 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium Conference Record (NSS/MIC), 995 (2009). |
Tracking source movements using distributed detectors , , , Transactions of the American Nuclear Society 100, 255 (2009). |
Patents
2015 | Method and system for determining radiation shielding thickness and gamma-ray energy, , , , U.S. Patent 9,212,905, December 2015. |
Awards
2018 | Grand Prize Poster Award, Pittsburgh Quantum Institute Symposium |
2016 | Poster Presentation Travel Award, Pittsburgh Quantum Institute Symposium |
2015 | Poster Presentation Travel Award, Pittsburgh Quantum Institute Symposium |
2008 | Outstanding Technical Presentation, American Nuclear Society Student Conference |
2007 | Best Research Presentation, McNair Undergraduate Research Conference |
Grants and Fellowships
2016 | J. Michael McQuade Nanophysics and Energy Fellowship |
2015 | George E. and Marjorie S. Pake Graduate Fellowship |
2012 | J. Michael McQuade Nanophysics and Energy Fellowship |
2011 | Clifford G. Shull Graduate Research Fellowship |
2006 | Pasqua Nuclear Engineering Scholarship |
2004 | Eastman Engineering Scholarship |
2004 | Tennessee HOPE Scholarship |
Presentations
2023 |
(Invited)
Cold, flat, and crowded: Why I spend all my time thinking about graphene , The University of Toronto Department of Physics Colloquium, October 2023. |
(Invited)
Engineering quasiperiodicity with two-dimensional moiré structures , , , , , , , , , , , , , International Conference on Quasicrystals, June 2023. |
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(Invited)
Electric-field driven isospin order in Bernal bilayer graphene , , , , , , , , American Physical Society March Meeting, March 2023. |
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Superconductivity and strong electronic interactions in a moiré quasicrystal - part 2 , , , , , , , , , , , , , American Physical Society March Meeting, March 2023. |
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(Invited)
Superconductivity in an engineered moiré quasiperiodic system , , , , , , , , , , , , , Condensed Matter Seminar at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, February 2023. |
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2022 |
(Invited)
Electric-field tunable spontaneous symmetry breaking in Bernal bilayer graphene , , , , , , , , Frontiers in Quantum Materials and Devices, June 2022. |
Highly tunable junctions in magic-angle graphene tunnelling devices , , , , , , , , American Physical Society March Meeting, March 2022. |
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Cascade of isospin phase transitions in Bernal bilayer graphene at zero magnetic field , , , , , , , , American Physical Society March Meeting, March 2022. |
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2021 |
Charge sensing of an unconventional ferroelectric metal in bilayer graphene , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , American Physical Society March Meeting, March 2021. |
2019 |
Thermodynamic probe of the bulk gap in the quantum spin Hall insulator 1T'-WTe2 , , , , American Physical Society March Meeting, March 2019. |
2018 |
(Poster)
Superconductivity and spin-orbit coupling in 2D metallic transition metal dichalcogenides , , , , , , , , Gordon Research Conference on Two Dimensional Electronics Beyond Graphene, June 2018. |
2017 |
(Invited)
Low-energy electron microscopy and spectroscopy of two-dimensional materials , , , , , , Microscopy and Surface Spectroscopy Seminar at the Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences, December 2017. |
Ising superconductivity and the anomalous metallic phase in an atomically thin van der Waals superconductor , , , , , , , , , , , , International Conference on Low Temperature Physics, August 2017. |
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Symmetry-protected superconductivity in ultrathin layered transition metal dichalcogenides , , , , American Physical Society March Meeting, March 2017. |
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2016 |
Spectroscopic imaging of large-area WSe2 on epitaxial graphene by low-energy electron reflectivity , , , , , , Low-Energy Electron Microscopy/Photoemission Electron Microscopy Workshop, September 2016. |
Characterization of layered 2D semiconductor heterostructures with low-energy electron microscopy , , , , , , , , , , Electronic Materials Conference, June 2016. |
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Measurement of electrostatic potential variations between 2D materials using low-energy electron microscopy , , , , , , , , American Physical Society March Meeting, March 2016. |
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Measuring band alignment of transition metal dichalcogenides and graphene using low-energy electron microscopy , , , , , , , , Physics and Chemistry of Surfaces and Interfaces, January 2016. |
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2015 |
Low-Energy Electron Microscopy of Transition Metal Dichalcogenides , , , , , , , , , , , , , , American Vacuum Society International Symposium and Exhibition, October 2015. |
Resonant Effects in Vertical Tunneling between Bilayers of Graphene , , Electronic Materials Conference, June 2015. |
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Inelastic vertical tunneling in graphene-based heterostructures , , American Physical Society March Meeting, March 2015. |
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2014 |
Theory and Experiment for Gated Graphene–insulator–graphene Heterostructures , , , , , , , Electronic Materials Conference, June 2014. |
Sources of disorder in double-gated graphene–insulator–graphene tunneling devices , , , , American Physical Society March Meeting, March 2014. |
Teaching
2023 | Practical Physics, Co-instructor with Prof. Christopher Lee |
2013 | Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Co-instructor with Prof. Randall Feenstra |