For More Information

• The van der Zande Lab

Education

• Ph.D. Physics, Cornell University, 2011
• Master of Science, Physics, Cornell University, 2008
• Bachelor of Science, Physics and Mathematics, University of California Santa Cruz, 2003

Academic Positions

• Affiliate, Materials Research Lab, September 1, 2017 - Present
• Affiliate, Electrical and Computer Engineering, March 18, 2017 - present
• Affiliate, Beckman Institute, November 1, 2015 - Present
• Affiliate, Micro and Nanotechnology Center, UIUC August 15, 2015 - Present
• Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, UIUC, August 16, 2015 - Present
• Postdoctoral Fellow, Energy Frontier Research Center, Columbia University, 2012-2015
• Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, 2011-2015
• Graduate Student Researcher, Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics, Cornell University, 2004-2010

Research Interests

• Professor van der Zande's research re-engineers classic 3D systems at atomic length scale like mechanical structures such as atomically-thin membranes or flexible films and electronic structures such as transistors or photodiodes. We utilize molecular scale building blocks made from new 2D materials like graphene and molybdenum disulfide. The materials are naturally stable at only one to a few atoms thick and can be grown or manually manipulated to build heterostructures with tailored properties by stacking 2D materials layer-by-layer, like lego building blocks. These new structures are then used in applications that lie at the forefront of nanotechnology such as highly-tunable nano-electro-mechanical systems, flexible electronics, pushing Moore's Law, sensors, biological interfaces and new energy systems.

Selected Articles in Journals

• Yu, J., M.A. Hossein, S. Kim, P.F. Ferrari, S. Huang, H. Kim, Y. Zhang, D.A. Michel, and A.M. van der Zande, "Mechanically Sensing and Tailoring Electronic Properties with Mechanical Deformations in Two-Dimensional Atomic Membranes," Invited Perspective Article, Current Opinion in Solid State & Materials Science, 25, 2, 100900 (2021)
• Chen S., J. Son, S. Huang, K. Watanabe, T. Taniguchi, R. Bashir, A.M. van der Zande, and W.B. King, "Tip-Based Cleaning and Smoothing Improves Performance in Monolayer MoS2 Devices" ACS Omega, 6 (5) 4013-4021 (2021)
• Yu, J., E. Han, M.A. Hossain, K. Watanabe, T. Taniguchi, E. Ertekin, A.M. van der Zande*, and Pinshane Y. Huang*, “Designing the bending stiffness of 2D heterostructures," Advanced Materials, 2007269, (2021)*Co-corresponding Author
• Son, J., H. Ryu, J. Kwon, S. Huang, J. Yu, J. Xu, K. Watanabe, T. Taniguchi, A.M. van der Zande*, and G.-H. Lee*, "Tailoring single- and double-sided fluorination of bilayer graphene via substrate interactions," Nano Letters, 2021, 21, 2, 891-898 *Co-Corresponding Author
• Hossein, M.A., J. Yu, and A.M. van der Zande "Realizing Optoelectronic Devices from Crumpled Two-Dimensional Material Heterostructures" ACS AMI, 2020, 12, 43, 48910-48916
• De, S., A.M. van der Zande, and N. Aluru "Intrinsic dissipation due to mode coupling in two-dimensional material resonators revealed through multiscale modeling," Physical Review Applied 14, 034062 (2020)
• Hwang, M. T., M. Heiranian, Y. Kim, Y. Jing, J. Leem, A.M.A.H. Taqieddin, V. Faramarzi, A. M. van der Zande, S. Nam, N. Aluru, and R. Bashir, "Ultrasensitive detection of nucleic acids using deformed graphene channel field effect biosensors," Nature Communications, 11, 1543 (2020)
• Yu, J., S. Kim, E. Ertekin, and A.M. van der Zande, "Material Dependent Evolution of Mechanical Folding Instabilities in Two-Dimensional Atomic membranes," ACS AMI, 12, 9, 10801-10808 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b20909
• Kim, S., E. Annevelink, E. Han, J. Yu, P.Y. Huang, E. Ertekin, and A.M. van der Zande, "Stochastic stress jumps due to Soliton Dynamics in two-dimensional van der Waals interfaces," Nano Letters, 2020, 20, 2, 1201-1707 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.9b04619
• Han, E.*, J. Yu*, E. Annevelink, J. Son, D.A. Kang, K. Watanabe, T. Taniguchi, E. Ertekin, P.Y. Huang. A.M van der Zande, "Ultrasoft slip-mediated bending in few-layer graphene" Nature Materials 19, 305–309 (2020) doi:10.1038/s41563-019-0529-7 *Co-First Authors
• Son, J., N. Buzov, S. Chen, D. Sung, H. Ryu, J. Kwon, S. Kim, S. Namiki, J. Xu, S. Hong, K. Watanabe, T. Taniguchi, W.P. King, G.‐H. Lee, and A.M. van der Zande, "Tailoring Surface Properties via Functionalized Hydrofluorinated Graphene Compounds," Advanced Materials 2019, 31 (39) 1903424
• Kim, S., J. Yu, and A. M. van der Zande, "Nanoelectromechanical drumhead resonators from Two-Dimensional Material Bimorphs," Nano Letters, 2018, 18 (11) pp. 6686-6695
• Son, J., J. Kwon, S. Kim, Y. Lv, J. Yu, J.-Y. Lee, H. Ryu, K. Watanabe, T. Taniguchi, R. Garrido-Menacho, N. Mason, E. Ertekin, P. Y. Huang, G.-H. Lee, and A. M. van der Zande, "Atomically-precise graphene etch masks for 3D integrated systems from 2D material heterostructures," Nature Communications 9, 3988 (2018)
• Chernikov, A., A. M. van der Zande, H. M. Hill, A. F. Rigosi, A. Velauthapillai, J. C. Hone, and T. F. Heinz, "Electrical Tuning of Exciton Binding Energies in Monolayer WS 2," Physical Review Letters, 115 (12) 126802 (2015) [Co-First Author].
• van der Zande, A. M., J. Kuntsmann, A. Chernikov, D. Chenet, Y. You, X. Zhang, T. C. Berkelbach, P. Huang, M. Hybertsen, D. A. Muller, D. R. Reichman, T. F. Heinz, and J. C. Hone, “Tailoring the bandstructure in bilayer molybdenum disulfide via interlayer twist,” Nano Letters 14 (7), 3869-3875 (2014).
• van der Zande, A.M.*, P.Y. Huang*, D.A. Chenet*, T.C. Berkelbach, Y. You, G.-H. Lee, T.F. Heinz, D.R. Reichman, D.A. Muller, and J.C. Hone, “Grains and grain boundaries in highly-crystalline monolayer molybdenum disulfide,” Nature Materials 12, 554-561 (2013). * Equal Contribution
• van der Zande, A.M. and J. Hone, “Optical materials: Inspired by strain,” Nature Photonics, 6 (12), 804-806 (2013).
• Huang, P. Y.*, C. S. Ruiz-Vargas*, A. M. van der Zande*, W. S. Whitney, M. P. Levendorf, J. W. Kevek, S. Garg, J. S. Alden, C. J. Hustedt, Y. Zhu, J. Park, P. L. McEuen, and D. M. Muller, "Grains and grain boundaries in single-layer graphene patchwork quilts," Nature 469, 389-392 (2011). [* Equal Contribution]
• van der Zande, A.M., R.A. Barton, J.S. Alden, C.S. Ruiz-Vargas, W.S. Whitney, P.H.Q. Pham, J. Park, J.M. Parpia, H.G. Craighead, and P.L. McEuen, “Large-scale arrays of single-layer graphene resonators,” Nano Letters, 10(12), 4869-4873 (2010).
• Bunch, J. S., A. M. van der Zande, S. S. Verbridge, I. W. Frank, D. M. Tanenbaum, J. M. Parpia, H. G. Craighead, and P. L. McEuen, “Electromechanical resonators from graphene sheets," Science 315, 490 (2007).

Articles in Conference Proceedings

• Hossain M.A. , Y. Zhang, A. M. van der Zande, "Three-dimensional deformation and stretchable photonics enabled by interfacial slip in 2D material heterostructures," Proc. SPIE 11464, Physical Chemistry of Semiconductor Materials and Interfaces IX, 1146404 (20 August 2020)

Research Honors

• Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researcher. This list recognizes world-class researchers selected for their exceptional research performance, demonstrated by production of multiple highly cited papers that rank in the top 1% by citations for field and year in Web of Science. One of only 8 researchers at UIUC. (2021)

Recent Courses Taught

• BIOE 497 AZ - Individual Study
• ME 370 - Mechanical Design I
• ME 498 AVU (ME 498 LI3, ME 498 LI4, ME 498 LO3) - Nano-Fab & Characterization
• ME 586 - Mechanics of MEMS
• ME 598 AL1 (ME 598 AL2, ME 598 AV1, ME 598 AV2, ME 598 AV4, ME 598 AVG, ME 598 AVZ) - Mechanics of 2D Nanomaterials