Lewis Holland, EP ’27, recently won a $7,000 undergraduate research award from Cornell Engineering’s Office of Inclusive Excellence for his research titled “Pressure enhancement of polarization in 2D ferroelectrics.” Holland, whose advisor is Professor Joel Brock, is working on this research project in Professor Kenji Yasuda’s group.
“Lewis distinguished himself through his active engagement and insightful questions in my Intermediate Quantum Mechanics course,” said Yasuda. “I am enthusiastic about our shared interest in nanoscience and quantum materials, and keen to support his development as a next-generation scientist.”
Holland said he was inspired by receiving the award, and it gave him optimism for future scientific research. “This award reminds me how much science is still appreciated by so many people,” he said, adding the funding will enable him to continue his research in Ithaca this summer.
What is your project?
When layers of certain 2D materials (crystals that are atom-thick) are stacked on top of each other, they can exhibit a phenomenon called ferroelectricity, in which they preserve an electric-dipole (and therefore a voltage) between the layers. In certain stacks, such as between layers of hexagonal boron nitride, this dipole can be switched between two different stable polarization directions, a phenomenon which has the potential to encode binary information. The focus of my project is to use high pressures to decrease the space between the 2D layers, which hopefully will increase the magnitude of polarization between the layers.
Why Cornell and the school of Applied and Engineering Physics?
I decided to attend Cornell because of its appealing combination of academic rigor and local natural beauty which inspires me in my work and studies. I chose Applied and Engineering Physics because it combines my passion for fundamental physics with my desire to help society by advancing technology.
What do you hope to accomplish before and after graduation?
I hope that my research as a part of the Yasuda group contributes to a breakthrough in the understanding and application of ferroelectric materials. In my graduate research, I hope to apply this focus on heterostructures to other applications, such as the manipulation of superconductivity or of surface acoustic wave patterns.
Has your view of your future changed since affiliating with our school?
Initially, I believed that I would either pursue engineering or fundamental physics, with no middle ground. In courses such as AEP 3100: Quantum Computing, learning about technologies brought about by physics discoveries has been a key experience, allowing me to recognize that fundamental physics and its applications are closely intertwined. This has led me to pursue the aspects of physics that have a strong potential to lead to technological applications, which has guided me to working with 2D materials.
Extracurriculars?
I love to play guitar and to write music. I try to bend the rules when I write lyrics, and it’s the same creative approach I carry over to when I think about physics, as well.
Three other students won Cornell Engineering undergraduate research awards this year working with our faculty:
- Aditya Rao, “Enhanced White Light Generation for Seeding Hybridized Parametric Amplification of Ultrashort Laser Pulses,” Faculty Supervisor: Jeffrey Moses
- Victoria Shenderov, “Magnetic Field Control of Trapped-Ion Qubits,” Faculty Supervisor: Or Katz
- Hazuki Takahashi, “Investigating nonlinear photodamage during brain imaging,” Faculty Supervisor: Chris Xu