Ekaterina Khestanova

Dr. Ekaterina Khestanova is a Research Fellow at the Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO), specifically in the Quantum Nano-Optoelectronics research group. She holds a PhD in Condensed Matter Physics from the University of Manchester (UK). Her research focuses on quantum materials, particularly 2D materials and van der Waals heterostructures, with an emphasis on optoelectronic properties, superconductivity, and nonlinear optical phenomena.

Her work explores topics such as interlayer excitons in transition metal dichalcogenides, quantum geometry in twisted bilayer graphene, and the mechanical and electronic properties of atomically thin materials. She has contributed to advancements in precision transfer techniques for 2D materials and the study of topological polaritons in monolayers.

Key contributions include experimental revelations of intrinsic superconductivity at material interfaces, nonlinear polariton effects, and strain-induced phenomena in nanomaterials. Her research bridges fundamental physics with nanotechnology applications, particularly in optoelectronic device development and interface engineering.