Inhalation of microscale particles can cause severe health issues in respiratory and cardiovascular systems of humans. Trapping airborne particles by water droplets is one of the most widely used methods to reduce the particle concentration in polluted air. However, generating intensive micro-droplets via spraying or ultrasonic atomization normally requires specialized equipment and a large amount of energy. In this project, I propose a novel and cost-effective approach to capture particles by utilizing abundant self-jumping droplets generated during condensation on a superhydrophobic surface. Since the condensation process is ubiquitous and can be found in various heat transfer devices such as air conditioners, the proposed strategy will significantly reduce the expenses and energy costs for particle removal. In particular, to enhance the particle trapping rate, I intend to explore the rational superhydrophobic surface topography that allows continuous jumping-droplet condensation. I will first analyze the condensing droplet wetting dynamics using the cutting-edge confocal microscopy developed by the host lab. The results obtained will help to optimize the surface structures to achieve the durable condensate repellency. Next, I will investigate the effects of jumping droplet characteristics on the particle-droplet interaction from a single-droplet perspective. Finally, I will use my expertise in thermal physics to quantitatively correlate global condensation heat transfer and particle trapping performance. By integrating these interdisciplinary studies, the project will make a conceptual breakthrough in mitigating air pollution without additional energy consumption, and pave the way for the next-generation climate control devices with built-in air purification capabilities.

Over the last decades, we have established a standard cosmological paradigm by combining the information from complementary cosmological probes. However, many intriguing questions remain to be answered: the nature of dark energy, the driving mechanisms of the cosmic inflation, and masses of neutrinos. In this proposal, I will focus on the cosmological information content of the large-scale structure (LSS) of the Universe. Different physical processes leave their unique imprints on the clustering pattern of LSS at different scales, and N-point statistics act a bridge between the observables and the underlying physics. In the coming years, new large-volume galaxy surveys will probe the LSS of the Universe with exquisite detail. However, traditional analysis methods, based mostly on 2-point statistics alone, are not adequate for these new surveys and must urgently be revised to ensure their full potential. This proposal aims to maximise the information to be extracted from the upcoming surveys. With the Marie-Curie fellowship, I will carry out a consistent joint analysis of the 2- and 3-point statistics, and develop a complementary but simplified treatment of the N-point statistics. These tools will be applied to the new data to constrain the cosmological models, with special focus in understanding the properties of the primordial signatures and models beyond the standard cosmological paradigm. In the outgoing phase, I will work at Univesity of Florida (US) to benefit from the expertise in the leading algorithms to estimate higher-order statistics, their theoretical modelling, and knowledge about high-performance computing. In the incoming phase, I will work at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (Germany), I will delve into the data from the real surveys and understand potential systematic errors. With the help of the experts at MPE, the experience and techniques acquired in the US will be applied to the datasets to extract more precise information.

Two-dimensional crystalline materials exhibit exceptional physical properties and offer fascinating potential as fundamental building blocks for future two-dimensional electronic and optoelectronic devices. Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are of particular interest as they show a variety of many-body phenomena and correlation effects. Key properties are: i) additional internal degrees of freedom of the electrons, described as valley pseudospin and layer pseudospin, ii) electronic many-body effects like strongly-bound excitons and trions, and iii) electron-lattice correlations like polarons. While these phenomena represent intriguing fundamental solid state physics problems, they are of great practical importance in view of the envisioned nanoscopic devices based on two-dimensional materials. The experimental research project FLATLAND will address the exotic spin-valley-layer correlations in few-layer thick TMDC crystals and TMDC-based heterostructures. The latter comprise other 2D materials, organic crystals, metals and phase change materials as second constituent. Microscopic coupling and correlation effects, both within pure materials as well as across the interface of heterostructures, will be accessed by time- and angle-resolved extreme ultraviolet-photoelectron spectroscopy, femtosecond electron diffraction, and time-resolved optical spectroscopies. The project promises unprecedented insight into the microscopic coupling mechanisms governing the performance of van der Waals-bonded devices.