Dr. Danielle Reifsnyder Hickey
Penn State University
Friday, September 25, 2026
12:00 Noon
Meyerhoff Chemistry BuildingRoom 120
Host: Dr. Joe Bennett
“Understanding Atomic Structures and Transformations in Tellurides at Atomic Resolution”
Among the van der Waals (vdW) materials, two-dimensional (2D) and quasi-1D tellurides adopt a wide variety of crystal structures with emergent properties. Their bonding and structures make them unique quantum materials, such as Weyl semimetals, phase-change materials, topological insulators, and charge density wave materials. Understanding the details of the atomic structures and defects in these materials can lead to new ways to harness their properties. In this presentation, we will show examples of the atomic structures, defects, and atomic-scale transformations in 2D tellurides, obtained using scanning and transmission electron microscopy (S/TEM), and we will discuss new methods related to AI and machine learning to analyze largescale features, layer stacking, and crystal structure distortions.