The Functional Oxide Thin Film Lab

We are a materials physical lab with specific interests in complex functional oxide thin films and nanostructures. Within this realm, we focus on Rational Control of Ferroelectric Materials, Electric Field Control of Magnetism using Multiferroic Materials; Emergent Phenomena in Oxide Heterostructures; Self-Assembled Oxide Nanostructures via Spontaneous Phase-Separation. We use state-of-the-art synthesis tools, such as Laser Molecular Beam Epitaxy (LMBE), to create our epitaxial thin films and heterostructures with atomic level precision; and explore the use of epitaxial strain, artificial heterostructures, compositional and strain gradients, thermodynamic instability, and much more to produce physical effects not expected from classical understanding of materials. Our comprehensive approach includes aspects of materials design via such as material genome approach, synthesis, device fabrication, and advanced characterization and utilization. Recent work in this regard has provided understanding about domain engineering and strain engineering in multiferroic/ferroelectric thin films; demonstrated emergent magnetism at oxide heterointerfaces, self-assembled metamaterials via spinodal decomposition, and much more.