Physics student wins international research prize

The work, which was in collaboration with his supervisor Dr Andrey Shytov, theoretically proposes the possibility of a new kind of excitonic bound state in a certain anisotropy regime. These results give support to the proposed existence of the elusive excitonic condensate, an exotic state of matter which many believe to be observable at room temperature in graphene.

The award, which included a cash prize sponsored by the academic journal EPL (formerly Europhysics Letters), was in recognition of excellence in research amongst graduate students presenting at the conference.

The International Conference on the Fundamental Science of Graphene and Applications of Graphene-Based Devices, known commonly as Graphene Week, is now in its 7th year. The conference attracts many of the most prominent international researchers in the fields of graphene and related two dimensional materials, with 84 academic institutions represented by nearly 300 presenters on topics including electronic, optical, vibrational and structural properties, quantum transport, devices, plasmonics and spintronics.

Graphene, a two dimensional carbon material, plays a major role in the University of Exeter's functional materials key research theme, and continues to attract widespread attention in academia and industry for its many interesting properties and potential applications.

The University of Exeter was also represented at Graphene Week by Dr Andrey Shytov, Thomas Bointon, Alexander Pearce and Charles Downing, who presented their work on the topics of cloaked electronic states in graphene, highly conductive graphene-based materials, electromechanical properties of transition-metal dichalcogenides and zero-energy states in graphene.

Lachlan said: “The University of Exeter is amongst the world leaders in the physics of graphene and related applications. Dr Shytov and I are delighted to have this work recognised by our esteemed colleagues on behalf of the university".

Lachlan's research is funded by the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences.