UC Berkeley

Of the many fascinating topics in condensed matter physics, this dissertation aims to

cover three subtopics in some detail: 1) Functionalization of surfaces – using single molecules

and/or atoms to change the behavior of a surface. 2) Low dimensional systems – 0D, 1D,

or 2D materials whose behavior is often drastically different from the 3D world. 3) 3D to

2D crossover – studying what happens to materials as they are thinned down from a bulk

3D morphology to a single 2D layer. In addition to these areas of research, there will also

be a focus on the modifications I made to the Toucan STM, and the rationale behind those

changes. This portion, in combination with Niv Levy’s dissertation, should serve as a user’s

manual for that microscope.