Honors Program Theses

Award/Availability

Honors Program Thesis (UNI Access Only)

First Advisor

Andrew Stollenwerk

Abstract

This project investigates how thin layers of copper (Cu) and nickel (Ni) grow on molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), a material made of atomically thin layers with unique electronic properties. When metals are deposited onto surfaces like MoS2, they do not always spread evenly; instead, they can form nanoscale structures whose size and shape depend on how the atoms interact with the surface. Previous work in our research group found that metals such as silver (Ag) and gold (Au) form structures with distinct, preferred heights on MoS2. This behavior suggests that the substrate plays an important role in determining how the metal film develops. By comparing the growth of Cu and Ni to these known systems, this project aims to determine whether similar patterns emerge and to better understand the underlying physical mechanisms. Understanding how metals grow on atomically thin materials is important for designing future technologies, including catalysts, electronic devices, and magnetic materials. Insights from this work may help guide the development of materials with tunable electronic and magnetic properties.

Year of Submission

2026

Department

Department of Physics

University Honors Designation

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the designation University Honors

Date Original

2026

Object Description

1 PDF file (9 pages)

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

Download
Off-Campus Download

Comments?

Share

COinS