Integrated Calendar

Single layers of transition metal dichalcogenides are semiconducting 2D materials which present unique electronic, excitonic and spin properties. Heterostructures composed of these materials show highly intriguing excited-state phenomena, along with a large degree of atomistic and structural tunability stemming from the underlying quantum selection rules dominating these phenomena. A predictive understanding of the effect of structural complexity on the nature of excited-state properties and interaction dynamics is crucial in order to design efficient devices for various applications, within the fields of photovoltaics, photocatalytics, optoelectronics, spintronics, and material-based quantum computing. In this research, we propose a study of the electronic and excitonic properties in heterostructures based on layered transition metal dichalcogenides and the role of structural complexities in their time-resolved relaxation mechanisms. For this, we will analyze decay processes induced by excitonic interactions with lattice vibrations, as well as other excitons and charged particles in the crystals. We will utilize predictive, Green’s-function based ab-initio methods implemented through advanced software and apply highly advanced computations using high-performance computing clusters worldwide. We will develop computational models based on these predictive approaches and on our findings to study the underlying mechanisms dominating the involved excitation processes and the light-matter interactions leading to them. Our research will be constantly driven and validated by collaborations with relevant experimental research.

Ice sheets can dramatically impact the state of climate. This is due to their capacity to modify the planetary energy balance through variations in the ice cover and mass. A major question is how rapidly could such modification occur and to what extent ? This question can be addressed by investigating phenomena that involve relatively large mass flux of ice into the ocean, such as ice calving and rifting, ice streams, and melting. Many of these processes involve interactions between the ice sheet and the underlying bedrock or ocean. We model ice sheets as buoyancy-driven flows of nonlinear (non Newtonian) fluid and explore the resulted flow dynamics and stability due to different friction conditions along the base of the ice. I will show results from scaled laboratory experiments and theoretical modelling of several flows under different friction conditions that evolve patterns reminiscent to those that emerge in glacier ice flows. Specifically, the basal friction that we consider ranges from no-slip conditions, in which radially symmetric flows are stable, to free-slip conditions, in which such flows are unstable, developing patterns reminiscent to ice rifts and ice bergs. Under mixed conditions of friction, an initially radially symmetric flow can be either stable, or develop patterns reminiscent to ice streams. Our insights may have implications to predicting ice flow on Earth and possibly on other planetary objects.

The universal law of gravitation has undergone stringent tests for many
decades over a signicant range of length scales, from atomic to planetary. Of
particular interest is the short distance regime, where modications to Newto-
nian gravity may arise from axion-like particles or extra dimensions. We have
constructed an ultra-sensitive force sensor based on optically-levitated micro-
spheres with a force sensitivity of 10

Zoom Link: https://weizmann.zoom.us/j/91582672181?pwd=WFR1NVhKZGtra2w1WG9CcGFLSGU0Zz09

Non-stoichiometric oxides are a group of materials that are extremely popular in the energy storage and conversion industry. Their functionality relies heavily on point defects and their various properties show significant dependency on point defect type and concentration. This work deals with three such properties: mechanical, electromechanical and electro-chemo-mechanical while looking into two case study materials:
1. Acceptor-doped proton conducting BaZrO3, a promising electrolyte for protonic ceramic fuel cells as it combines high bulk proton conductivity with good chemical stability. The protonic conductivity is achieved by dissociative water incorporation into oxygen vacancies formed by acceptor dopants on Zr4+ sites. Doping was found to cause linear decrease in elastic modulus with increasing dopant concentration while the size of the dopant was proved to be a key factor. Water incorporation into the vacancies decreases the moduli even further. An unexpectedly large strain electrostriction coefficient of ≈ 5·10-16 m2/V2 was observed which makes BaZrO3 the first non-classical electrostrictor with a perovskite structure. The electromechanical response was observed to follow elastic moduli trend with respect to dopant size, giving a clear indication that electrostrictive response is related to point defect induced lattice distortions.
2. Acceptor doped oxygen conducting CeO2. The first known all solid-state electro-chemo-mechanical actuators operating at room temperature were demonstrated. These devices are based on nanocrystalline (Ti-oxide/Ce0.8Gd0.2O1.9) and (V-oxide/Ce0.8Gd0.2O1.9) composite layers. Under applied bias these composites undergo an electrochemical reaction generating change in specific volume and, thereby, mechanical work. The nanocrystalline composites are the key part of these devices and they are specifically designed to provide the fastest oxygen ion diffusion coefficient observed in a solid at room temperature. This achievement paves a way to a new field of studies: all solid-state chemotronics.
The findings presented in this work link together three properties of non-stoichiometric ion conducting oxides: elastic deformation, electromechanical response and solid-state electrochemistry.

Plants adopt a variety of life history strategies to succeed in the Earth’s diverse environments. Using functional traits which are defined as “morphological, biochemical, physiological, or phonological” characteristics measurable at the individual level, plants are classified according to their species’ adaptative strategies, more than their taxonomy, from fast growing plant species to slower-growing conservative species. These different strategies probably influence the input and output of carbon (C)- resources, from the assimilation of carbon by photosynthesis to its release in the rhizosphere soil via root exudation. However, while root exudation was known to mediate plant-microbe interactions in the rhizosphere, it was not used as functional trait until recently. In addition, no study analyzed the impact of plant nutritional strategy via root exudation quality and quantity on rhizosphere microbial activities and diversity. Here, we (i) assess whether root exudate levels are useful plant functional traits in the classification of plant nutrient-use strategies and (ii) determine using stable isotope probing (SIP) approach the impact of root exudates quality and quantity on active microbiota diversity and activity. For this purpose, six grass species distributed along a gradient of plant nutrient resource strategies, from conservative species, characterized by low nitrogen (N) uptake, a long lifespans and low root exudation level, to exploitative species, characterized by high rates of photosynthesis, rapid rates of N uptake were used. We show, for the first time, that root exudation rate can be used as a key functional trait in plant ecology studies and plant strategy classification. In addition, measurement of microbial activities revealed an increase in denitrification and respiration activities for microbial communities colonizing the root adhering soil of exploitative species. This increase of microbial activities results probably from a higher exudation rate and more diverse metabolites by exploitative plant species. Furthermore, our results demonstrate that plant nutrient resource strategies have a role in shaping active microbiota. We present evidence demonstrating that plant nutrient use strategies shape active microbiota involved in root exudate assimilation and soil organic matter degradation via root exudation.