Synergies between the IRGs
The unifying scheme of the two IRGs is to harness the unique properties of low-dimensional materials in higher dimensional assemblies to achieve unprecedented properties. In both IRGs, new physical properties emerge from the interface/interaction between nanoscale building blocks: atomically thin 2D vdW sheets in IRG1 and nanometer scale 0D superatoms in IRG2. Beyond this central research scheme, the two IRGs share a set of common research methods and facilities (e.g., spectroscopies, transport measurements, electronic structural theory, and nano fabrication). The researchers from both IRGs share a long history of collaborative work, particularly in the recently concluded (2001-2011) Columbia Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center.