Frank Peiris, professor of physics at Kenyon College, is leveraging the capabilities of the 2D Crystal Consortium–Materials Innovation Platform (2DCC-MIP) at Penn State to engage undergraduates in cutting-edge studies of thin-film growth and electronic structure. Since 2018, Peiris and his undergraduate researchers—many of whom present at national conferences and pursue graduate study—have collaborated closely with 2DCC-MIP scientists. Approximately 90% of his group’s projects are conducted in partnership with the 2DCC-MIP, reflecting the facility’s strong support for Primarily Undergraduate Institution (PUI) researchers.
 
Recent collaborative work has used in-situ spectroscopic ellipsometry, integrated directly into the 2DCC-MIP’s molecular beam epitaxy system, to extract thickness-dependent dielectric functions of platinum selenide and reveal a semiconducting-to-metallic transition with increasing film thickness. In parallel, Peiris’s group has used ellipsometry-derived dielectric functions to monitor and control the growth of ternary bismuth indium selenide, enabling real-time determination of alloy composition and precise optimization of MBE growth conditions. These projects have led to multiple publications, student presentations, and new collaborations catalyzed by the 2DCC-MIP, underscoring the facility’s impact on both undergraduate research and materials discovery.

This work is supported by DOI: 

10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2022.126714, 10.1116/6.0004406,  10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2024.127741, and 10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2021.126177