Research interests
Growth of of III-V nanowires by Chemical Beam Epitaxy using all-metalorganic gas sources. Focusing in particular on InAs, InAs/InP heterostructures, InSb, InAsSb alloys, GaAs, GaAs/AlAs heterostructures, AlAs, GaP.
Characterization of the grown NWs in house by electron microscopies (SEM, TEM, EDX, STEM, ...).
In house use of the grown NWs as building blocks for nanofabricated (mainly through EBL) devices for electrical and optical measurements, also at cryogenic temperatures.
More extensive NW and device characterization is possible through external collaborations with research groups and facilities around the world (Raman, TEM, XRD, theoretical groups).
A large share of my time is devoted to training and education of students, post-docs and researchers in the use of NEST experimental facilities, from growth apparati to lithography facilites, mK cryostats, etc.
Biographical sketch
2003 - Graduates in Physics in Università degli Stusi di Trieste with a thesis on nanostructure fabrication and chatachterization with local anodic oxydation
2007 - obtains the PhD degree at Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia with a thesis on "Transport properties of InGaAs based devices"
- from 2007: holds a position of research engineer at the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa, focusing mainly in III-V nanowire growth by CBE, and the use of nanowires for device nanofabrication for electrical and optical measurements.
- Has authored more than 40 articles in refereed international journals.
Selected publications
D. Ercolani et al., Transport anisotropy in InGaAs two-dimensional electron gases induced by indium concentration modulation, Phys. Rev. B 77, 235307 (2008) DOI:10.1103/PhysRevB.77.235307
- D. Ercolani et al., InAs/InSb nanowire heterostructures grown by chemical beam epitaxy, Nanotechnology 20, 505605 (2009), DOI: 10.1088/0957-4484/20/50/505605
- L. Lugani et al., Faceting of InAs-InSb Heterostructured Nanowires, Cryst. Growth Des., 10, 4038 (2010) DOI: 10.1021/cg1006814
- S. Roddaro et al., Manipulation of Electron Orbitals in Hard-Wall InAs/InP Nanowire Quantum Dots, Nano Lett. 11, 1695 (2011) DOI: 10.1021/nl200209m
- M.S. Vitiello et al., Room-Temperature Terahertz Detectors Based on Semiconductor Nanowire Field-Effect Transistors, Nano Lett. 12, 96 (2012) DOI: 10.1021/nl2030486
- D. Ercolani et al., Growth of InAs/InAsSb heterostructured nanowires, Nanotechnology 23, 115606 (2012) DOI: 10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2010.10.157
- S. Funk et al. Crystal Phase Induced Bandgap Modifications in AlAs Nanowires Probed by Resonant Raman Spectroscopy, Acs Nano 7, 1400 (2013) DOI: 10.1021/nn305112a