My research focuses on investigating the size-dependent physics of topological insulators (TIs) and their application in quantum computing and spintronics. 3D TIs are materials with an insulating bulk in combination with topologically protected, spin-momentum locked conducting surface states. However, integrating these materials into devices requires a good understanding of their behavior at the nanoscale, where (topological) properties can differ significantly from the bulk material. Such nanoscale confinement can, for example, result in gapped surface states or transitions from a 3D conducting surface to 2D edge states.

In my research, I use the flexibility of colloidal synthesis methods to prepare various types of TIs. I investigate these materials using techniques such as transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy to study the optical characteristics of these confined systems compared to their bulk counterpart. My aim is to probe photoexcited carrier dynamics and map how tunable parameters like thickness, lateral size, and doping affect the material's optical and electronic response.