Athos Petrou

Athos Petrou is a UB Distinguished Professor in the Department of Physics at the University at Buffalo's College of Arts and Sciences, specializing in experimental condensed matter physics. His research focuses on magneto-optical spectroscopy of semiconductor nanostructures, spintronics, and two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides. He directs the Petrou Lab, which utilizes 7-Tesla magneto-optical systems for photoluminescence and reflectivity studies at cryogenic temperatures.

Research Interests: Dr. Petrou investigates spin injection mechanisms, magnetic quantum dots, colloidal nanoplatelets, and valley polarization in monolayer WS₂/MoS₂. His work bridges fundamental carrier-spin interactions with applications in spintronic devices and quantum information processing.

Awards:

• UB Distinguished Professor (2012)
• Moti Lal Rusti Professorship (2008)
• 3× Naval Research Laboratory Alan Berman Award (1991, 2000, 2002)
• Fellow of the American Physical Society (1997)
• Chancellor’s Teaching Excellence Award (2001)

Advising & Collaborations: He has supervised 25+ PhD students (e.g., Arman Najafi on magnetic nanoplatelets, Tenzin Norden on TMDs) and collaborates with NRL, NIST, and international institutions. His lab participates in NSF-funded outreach programs demonstrating quantum phenomena to students.