Our research aims to address fundamental questions associated with the physical behaviors of low-dimensional materials, and to exploit their unusual properties for novel technologies. Tightly bound excitons in 2D semiconductors, for example, are a manifestation of strong many-body effects and are key to a variety of physical phenomena that form the basis of new information technologies. We investigate how 2D excitons can be generated, manipulated, and detected through materials engineering and various spectroscopic tools. Our interdisciplinary research builds on the synergy between elements of condensed matter physics, materials chemistry, and quantum photonics.