Quantum Matter at the Nanoscale

The Uri Lab at Princeton University aims to discover new quantum phases of matter by investigating strongly correlated and topological condensed matter systems. We pursue this through innovation in material and device design, alongside the development of novel experimental techniques.

2D materials

We explore quantum phenomena in two-dimensional materials such as graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), 2D magnets, and superconductors. Our group designs and fabricates novel devices, including moiré superlattices, to uncover new correlated and topological phases.

SQUID-on-tip attached to a quartz tuning-fork

Scanning nano SQUID-on-tip

The SQUID-on-tip (SOT) is a uniquely sensitive scanning probe that enables nanoscale imaging of stray magnetic fields and local temperature with exceptional spatial resolution and field sensitivity. This technique is particularly well-suited to probing quantum phenomena in low-dimensional systems.

At the Uri Lab, we combine ultra-low-temperature magneto-transport measurements with scanning SOT microscopy to uncover emergent quantum phases, focusing on magnetism, superconductivity, topology, and their intricate interplay.

The SOT is especially compatible with van der Waals heterostructures: since magnetic fields readily penetrate dielectric and metallic layers, fully encapsulated devices—with hexagonal boron nitride and dual gates—remain accessible to magnetic imaging. This makes the technique ideal for state-of-the-art device geometries.

We continuously advance the SOT platform by developing new measurement modalities, enhancing sensitivity, and minimizing electronic noise and heating to ensure the lowest possible electron temperatures.

  • We fabricate the smallest SQUIDs in existence, less than 50 nm in diameter, and mount them on quartz tuning forks that serve as high-Q force sensors. This setup allows scanning just a few nanometers above the sample surface, enabling nanoscale resolution and exceptional sensitivity to local magnetization.

  • The SQUID-on-tip is an ultrasensitive magnetometer—with sensitivity better than 1 nT/√Hz—capable of detecting the magnetic field of a single electron spin. Read more.

  • The SQUID-on-tip is also the most sensitive local thermometer demonstrated to date, with thermal sensitivity better than 1 μK/√Hz. Read more.

  • The SOT’s design makes it ideally suited for van der Waals (vdW) devices, with no limitations imposed by encapsulation or metallic top gates. Its flexibility enables magnetic imaging of fully gated and encapsulated 2D materials. When combined with simultaneous transport measurements and ultra-low electron temperatures, the SOT is a powerful platform for probing emergent phenomena in vdW systems.