Sefaattin Tongay


Sefaattin Tongay is an American materials scientist and engineer, currently Professor of Materials Science at Arizona State University and associate editor at American Institute of Physics Applied Physics Reviews. He is internationally recognized for the discovery of graphene/semiconductor devices, graphene based solar cells, 2D anisotropic semiconductors, epitaxial synthesis of quantum materials and Moire excitons in 2D quantum materials.

Research and career

He studied materials physics at the University of Florida working with Prof. Dr. Arthur F. Hebard and postdoctoral fellowship at the materials science and engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. His notable and most cited work includes the discovery of exciton complexes in 2D crystals, defects engineering in 2D materials, 2D superlattices, graphene based high-power devices, and graphene solar cells. He is known for establishing the current transport at these two-dimensional interfaces and the discovery of new class of 2D anisotropic semiconductor, Rhenium disulfide . Other seminal discoveries and contributions to the field include the defects engineering in 2D quantum materials, 2D alloying, van der Waals epitaxy growth of quantum materials, 2D anisotropic materials, the discovery of Moire excitons in 2Ds, band alignment models in 2D heterojunctions, the discovery of quintons, 2D phase change alloys, the discovery of bright/dark excitons, and the engineering of 2D anisotropic materials.

Recognition

statistics has identified him as one of the top 10 researchers in the world in the area of quantum materials and top 50 in two-dimensional materials. His work received a number of prestigious awards including the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers by the United States president Donald Trump, National Science Foundation CAREER Award, and Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World award. More recently, his work has seen him identified as one of the most influential researchers over the past decade by Clarivate Analytics and Web of Science.

Awards and honors