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Sergio C. de la Barrera

Updated

Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, University of Toronto
McLennan Physical Laboratories, Office 1011
60 St. George Street
Toronto, ON M5S 1A7

Education

2016 Ph.D. Physics , Carnegie Mellon University
2013 M.S. Physics , Carnegie Mellon University
2008 B.S. Nuclear Engineering , University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Experience

2023 Assistant Professor , University of Toronto , Department of Physics
2019–23 Postdoctoral Associate , Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Materials Research Laboratory
Advisors: Prof. Pablo Jarillo-Herrero and Prof. Raymond Ashoori
2016–19 Postdoctoral Research Associate , Carnegie Mellon University , Department of Physics
Advisor: Prof. Benjamin Hunt
2011–16 Graduate Research Assistant , Carnegie Mellon University , Department of Physics
Advisor: Prof. Randall M. Feenstra
2008–11 Nuclear Engineering Associate , Argonne National Laboratory , Nuclear Engineering Division
Supervisor: Dr. Raymond Klann
2007–08 Undergraduate Research Assistant , University of Tennessee, Knoxville , Scintillation Materials Research Center
Advisor: Dr. Charles Melcher

Publications

2023 Helical trilayer graphene: a moiré platform for strongly-interacting topological bands
L.-Q. Xia* , S. C. de la Barrera* , A. Uri* , A. Sharpe , Y. H. Kwan , Z. Zhu , K. Watanabe , T. Taniguchi , D. Goldhaber-Gordon , L. Fu , T. Devakul , P. Jarillo-Herrero , arXiv : 2310.12204 ( 2023 ) .
Electronic ratchet effect in a moiré system: signatures of excitonic ferroelectricity
Z. Zheng , X. Wang , Z. Zhu , S. Carr , T. Devakul , S. de la Barrera , N. Paul , Z. Huang , A. Gao , Y. Zhang , D. Bérubé , K. N. Evancho , K. Watanabe , T. Taniguchi , L. Fu , Y. Wang , S.-Y. Xu , E. Kaxiras , P. Jarillo-Herrero , Q. Ma , arxiv : 2306.03922 ( 2023 ) .
Magic-angle helical trilayer graphene
T. Devakul , P. J. Ledwith , L.-Q. Xia , A. Uri , S. C. de la Barrera , P. Jarillo-Herrero , L. Fu , Science Advances 9 , eadi6063 ( 2023 ) .
Superconductivity and strong interactions in a tunable moiré quasicrystal
A. Uri* , S. C. de la Barrera* , M. T. Randeria* , D. Rodan-Legrain* , T. Devakul , P. J. D. Crowley , N. Paul , K. Watanabe , T. Taniguchi , R. Lifshitz , L. Fu , R. C. Ashoori , P. Jarillo-Herrero , Nature 620 , 762 ( 2023 ) .
2022 Cascade of isospin phase transitions in Bernal-stacked bilayer graphene at zero magnetic field
S. C. de la Barrera , S. Aronson , Z. Zheng , K. Watanabe , T. Taniguchi , Q. Ma , P. Jarillo-Herrero , R. Ashoori , Nature Physics 18 , 771 ( 2022 ) .
2021 Direct measurement of ferroelectric polarization in a tunable semimetal
S. C. de la Barrera* , Q. Cao* , Y. Gao* , Y. Gao , V. S. Bheemarasetty , J. Yan , D. G. Mandrus , W. Zhu , D. Xiao , B. M. Hunt , Nature Communications 12 , 5298 ( 2021 ) .
Highly tunable junctions and non-local Josephson effect in magic-angle graphene tunnelling devices
D. Rodan-Legrain* , Y. Cao* , J. M. Park* , S. C. de la Barrera , M. T. Randeria , K. Watanabe , T. Taniguchi , P. Jarillo-Herrero , Nature Nanotechnology 16 , 769 ( 2021 ) .
Superconducting contact and quantum interference between two-dimensional van der Waals and three-dimensional conventional superconductors
M. R. Sinko , S. C. de la Barrera , O. Lanes , K. Watanabe , T. Taniguchi , S. Tan , D. Pekker , M. Hatridge , B. M. Hunt , Phys. Rev. Materials 5 , 14001 ( 2021 ) .
2020 Unconventional ferroelectricity in moiré heterostructures
Z. Zheng* , Q. Ma* , Z. Bi , S. de la Barrera , M.-H. Liu , N. Mao , Y. Zhang , N. Kiper , K. Watanabe , T. Taniguchi , J. Kong , W. A. Tisdale , R. Ashoori , N. Gedik , L. Fu , S.-Y. Xu , P. Jarillo-Herrero , Nature 588 , 71 ( 2020 ) .
Proximity-induced superconducting gap in the quantum spin Hall edge state of monolayer WTe 2
F. Lüpke* , D. Waters* , S. C. de la Barrera , M. Widom , D. G. Mandrus , J. Yan , R. M. Feenstra , B. M. Hunt , Nature Physics 16 , 526 ( 2020 ) .
2019 Electron Transport in Multidimensional Fuzzy Graphene Nanostructures
R. Garg , D. P. Gopalan , S. C. de la Barrera , H. Hafiz , N. T. Nuhfer , V. Viswanathan , B. M. Hunt , T. Cohen-Karni , Nano Letters 19 , 5335 ( 2019 ) .
2018 Tuning Ising superconductivity with layer and spin-orbit coupling in two-dimensional transition-metal dichalcogenides
S. C. de la Barrera , M. R. Sinko , D. P. Gopalan , N. Sivadas , K. L. Seyler , K. Watanabe , T. Taniguchi , A. W. Tsen , X. Xu , D. Xiao , B. M. Hunt , Nature Communications 9 , 1427 ( 2018 ) .
Magnitude of the current in 2D interlayer tunneling devices
R. M. Feenstra , S. C. de la Barrera , J. Li , Y. Nie , K. Cho , Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter 30 , 055703 ( 2018 ) .
Nanowire-Mesh-Templated Growth of Out-of-Plane Three-Dimensional Fuzzy Graphene
R. Garg , S. K. Rastogi , M. Lamparski , S. C. de la Barrera , G. T. Pace , N. T. Nuhfer , B. M. Hunt , V. Meunier , T. Cohen-Karni , ACS Nano 11 , 6301 ( 2017 ) .
2016 Thickness characterization of atomically thin WSe 2 on epitaxial graphene by low-energy electron reflectivity oscillations
S. C. de la Barrera , Y.-C. Lin , S. M. Eichfeld , J. A. Robinson , Q. Gao , M. Widom , R. M. Feenstra , Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B 34 , 04J106 ( 2016 ) .
Tuning electronic transport in epitaxial graphene-based van der Waals heterostructures
Y.-C. Lin , J. Li , S. C. de la Barrera , S. M. Eichfeld , Y. Nie , R. Addou , P. C. Mende , R. M. Wallace , K. Cho , R. M. Feenstra , J. A. Robinson , Nanoscale 8 , 8947 ( 2016 ) .
Formation of hexagonal boron nitride on graphene-covered copper surfaces
D. P. Gopalan , P. C. Mende , S. C. de la Barrera , S. Dhingra , J. Li , K. Zhang , N. A. Simonson , J. A. Robinson , N. Lu , Q. Wang , M. J. Kim , B. D'Urso , R. M. Feenstra , Journal of Materials Research 31 , 945 ( 2016 ) .
2015 Theory of resonant tunneling in bilayer-graphene/hexagonal-boron-nitride heterostructures
S. C. de la Barrera , R. M. Feenstra , Applied Physics Letters 106 , 093115 ( 2015 ) .
2014 Theory of graphene–insulator–graphene tunnel junctions
S. C. de la Barrera , Q. Gao , R. M. Feenstra , Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology 32 , 04E101 ( 2014 ) .
Tunneling characteristics in chemical vapor deposited graphene–hexagonal boron nitride–graphene junctions
T. Roy , L. Liu , S. de la Barrera , B. Chakrabarti , Z. R. Hesabi , C. A. Joiner , R. M. Feenstra , G. Gu , E. M. Vogel , Applied Physics Letters 104 , 123506 ( 2014 ) .
2011 Treatment of Shielding in Real-Time Source Tracking Software
R. T. Klann , S. C. de la Barrera , R. B. Vilim , Nuclear Technololgy 175 , 301 ( 2011 ) .
2009 Tracking of weak radioactive sources in crowded venues
R. B. Vilim , R. T. Klann , S. C. de la Barrera , P. L. Vilim , I. A. Ross , 2009 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium Conference Record (NSS/MIC) , 995 ( 2009 ) .
Tracking source movements using distributed detectors
R. Klann , R. Vilim , S. de la Barrera , Transactions of the American Nuclear Society 100 , 255 ( 2009 ).

Patents

2015 Method and system for determining radiation shielding thickness and gamma-ray energy , Raymond T. Klann , Richard B. Vilim , Sergio de la Barrera , U.S. Patent 9,212,905 , December 2015 .

Awards

2018 Grand Prize Poster Award , Pittsburgh Quantum Institute Symposium
2016 Poster Presentation Travel Award , Pittsburgh Quantum Institute Symposium
2015 Poster Presentation Travel Award , Pittsburgh Quantum Institute Symposium
2008 Outstanding Technical Presentation , American Nuclear Society Student Conference
2007 Best Research Presentation , McNair Undergraduate Research Conference

Grants and Fellowships

2023 NSERC Discovery Grant
2016 J. Michael McQuade Nanophysics and Energy Fellowship
2015 George E. and Marjorie S. Pake Graduate Fellowship
2012 J. Michael McQuade Nanophysics and Energy Fellowship
2011 Clifford G. Shull Graduate Research Fellowship
2006 Pasqua Nuclear Engineering Scholarship
2004 Eastman Engineering Scholarship
2004 Tennessee HOPE Scholarship

Presentations

2024 (Invited) Topology from emergent symmetry breaking in twisted graphene multilayers
S. C. de la Barrera , Quantum Materials Canada: Quantum Materials in Quantum Science Era , May 2024 .
(Invited) Transport and thermodynamic signatures of interacting phenomena in moiré materials
S. C. de la Barrera , CREATE MaQTech/CIFAR Summer School , April 2024 .
(Invited) Emergent symmetries and properties in graphene multilayers
S. C. de la Barrera , University of Ottawa Department of Physics Colloquium , January 2024 .
(Invited) Engineering symmetry and periodicity in twisted trilayer graphene moiré structures
S. C. de la Barrera , Workshop on Twistronics and Moiré Materials: Bridging Theory and Experiments , January 2024 .
2023 (Invited) Cold, flat, and crowded: Why I spend all my time thinking about graphene
S. C. de la Barrera , The University of Toronto Department of Physics Colloquium , October 2023 .
(Invited) Engineering quasiperiodicity with two-dimensional moiré structures
S. C. de la Barrera , A. Uri , M. T. Randeria , T. Devakul , D. Rodan-Legrain , P. J. D. Crowley , N. Paul , K. Watanabe , T. Taniguchi , R. Lifshitz , L. Fu , R. Ashoori , P. Jarillo-Herrero , International Conference on Quasicrystals , June 2023 .
(Invited) Electric-field driven isospin order in Bernal bilayer graphene
S. C. de la Barrera , S. H. Aronson , Z. Zheng , K. Watanabe , T. Taniguchi , Q. Ma , P. Jarillo-Herrero , R. Ashoori , American Physical Society March Meeting , March 2023 .
Superconductivity and strong electronic interactions in a moiré quasicrystal - part 2
S. C. de la Barrera , A. Uri , M. T. Randeria , D. Rodan-Legrain , T. Devakul , P. J. D. Crowley , N. Paul , K. Watanabe , T. Taniguchi , R. Lifshitz , L. Fu , R. Ashoori , P. Jarillo-Herrero , American Physical Society March Meeting , March 2023 .
(Invited) Superconductivity in an engineered moiré quasiperiodic system
S. C. de la Barrera , A. Uri , M. T. Randeria , D. Rodan-Legrain , T. Devakul , P. J. D. Crowley , N. Paul , K. Watanabe , T. Taniguchi , R. Lifshitz , L. Fu , R. Ashoori , P. Jarillo-Herrero , Condensed Matter Seminar at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory , February 2023 .
2022 (Invited) Electric-field tunable spontaneous symmetry breaking in Bernal bilayer graphene
S. C. de la Barrera , S. H. Aronson , Z. Zheng , K. Watanabe , T. Taniguchi , Q. Ma , P. Jarillo-Herrero , R. Ashoori , Frontiers in Quantum Materials and Devices , June 2022 .
Highly tunable junctions in magic-angle graphene tunnelling devices
D. Rodan-Legrain , M. Randeria , S. de la Barrera , Y. Cao , J. M. Park , K. Watanabe , T. Taniguchi , P. Jarillo-Herrero , American Physical Society March Meeting , March 2022 .
Cascade of isospin phase transitions in Bernal bilayer graphene at zero magnetic field
S. C. de la Barrera , S. H. Aronson , Z. Zheng , K. Watanabe , T. Taniguchi , Q. Ma , P. Jarillo-Herrero , R. Ashoori , American Physical Society March Meeting , March 2022 .
2021 Charge sensing of an unconventional ferroelectric metal in bilayer graphene
S. de la Barrera , Z. Zheng , Q. Ma , B. Zhen , M.-H. Liu , N. Mao , Y. Zhang , N. Kiper , K. Watanabe , T. Taniguchi , J. Kong , W. A. Tisdale , N. Gedik , L. Fu , S. Xu , P. Jarillo-Herrero , R. Ashoori , American Physical Society March Meeting , March 2021 .
2019 Thermodynamic probe of the bulk gap in the quantum spin Hall insulator 1T'-WTe 2
S. de la Barrera , Q. Cao , J. Yan , B. M. Hunt , American Physical Society March Meeting , March 2019 .
2018 (Poster) Superconductivity and spin-orbit coupling in 2D metallic transition metal dichalcogenides
S. C. de la Barrera , M. Sinko , D. Gopalan , N. Sivadas , K. Seyler , X. Xu , D. Xiao , B. Hunt , Gordon Research Conference on Two Dimensional Electronics Beyond Graphene , June 2018 .
2017 (Invited) Low-energy electron microscopy and spectroscopy of two-dimensional materials
S. C. de la Barrera , N. Srivastava , P. Mende , J. Li , M. Widom , R. M. Feenstra , Microscopy and Surface Spectroscopy Seminar at the Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences , December 2017 .
Ising superconductivity and the anomalous metallic phase in an atomically thin van der Waals superconductor
S. de la Barrera , M. Sinko , D. Gopalan , O. Lanes , G. Liu , N. Sivadas , K. Seyler , A. Tsen , M. Hatridge , X. Xu , D. Xiao , B. Hunt , International Conference on Low Temperature Physics , August 2017 .
Symmetry-protected superconductivity in ultrathin layered transition metal dichalcogenides
S. de la Barrera , M. Sinko , D. Gopalan , B. Hunt , American Physical Society March Meeting , March 2017 .
2016 Spectroscopic imaging of large-area WSe 2 on epitaxial graphene by low-energy electron reflectivity
S. C. de la Barrera , Y.-C. Lin , S. Eichfeld , M. Widom , J. A. Robinson , R. M. Feenstra , Low-Energy Electron Microscopy/Photoemission Electron Microscopy Workshop , September 2016 .
Characterization of layered 2D semiconductor heterostructures with low-energy electron microscopy
S. C. de la Barrera , J. Li , P. C. Mende , Y.-C. Lin , S. Vishwanath , Y. Nie , J. A. Robinson , H. Xing , K. Cho , R. M. Feenstra , Electronic Materials Conference , June 2016 .
Measurement of electrostatic potential variations between 2D materials using low-energy electron microscopy
S. de la Barrera , P. Mende , J. Li , R. Feenstra , Y.-C. Lin , J. Robinson , S. Vishwanath , H. Xing , American Physical Society March Meeting , March 2016 .
Measuring band alignment of transition metal dichalcogenides and graphene using low-energy electron microscopy
S. C. de la Barrera , P. C. Mende , J. Li , Y.-C. Lin , S. Vishwanath , J. Robinson , H. Xing , R. M. Feenstra , Physics and Chemistry of Surfaces and Interfaces , January 2016 .
2015 Low-Energy Electron Microscopy of Transition Metal Dichalcogenides
S. de la Barrera , S. Satpathy , R. Feenstra , S. Wu , X. Xu , S. Vishwanath , X. Liu , J. Furdyna , D. Jena , H. Xing , Y.-C. Lin , S. Eichfeld , J. Robinson , P. Mende , American Vacuum Society International Symposium and Exhibition , October 2015 .
Resonant Effects in Vertical Tunneling between Bilayers of Graphene
S. C. de la Barrera , R. M. Feenstra , Electronic Materials Conference , June 2015 .
Inelastic vertical tunneling in graphene-based heterostructures
S. de la Barrera , R. Feenstra , American Physical Society March Meeting , March 2015 .
2014 Theory and Experiment for Gated Graphene–insulator–graphene Heterostructures
S. de la Barrera , R. M. Feenstra , T. Roy , C. A. Joiner , E. M. Vogel , L. Liu , G. Gu , Electronic Materials Conference , June 2014 .
Sources of disorder in double-gated graphene–insulator–graphene tunneling devices
S. de la Barrera , T. Roy , R. Feenstra , E. Vogel , American Physical Society March Meeting , March 2014 .

Teaching

2023 Practical Physics I , Co-instructor with Prof. Christopher Lee
2013 Nanoscience and Nanotechnology , Co-instructor with Prof. Randall Feenstra