Research Project

Creative. Professional. Ethical.

Our research group focuses on the epitaxial growth of thin films and heterostructures for advanced electronic device applications. Our primary thin-film growth technique is Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD), where a high-power laser ablates material from a target, creating a plasma plume that deposits atomic layers onto crystalline substrates. We also utilize Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) as an additional thin film growth method for select projects.

Beyond synthesis, we investigate novel functionalities in quantum devices fabricated from these epitaxial films and heterostructures. Additionally, we leverage synchrotron light sources to probe the electronic structure of quantum materials with high precision.

Below are some of the current research projects underway in our lab:

Current Research Interests include

Complex Oxide Heterostructures

Our research interests are on transparent conducting oxide heterostructures for applications in the next-generation of transparent electronic devices; and on ionic conducting oxide heterostructures for applications in clean energy technologies

Correlated Electron Systems

Research interests are on 4d correlated electron systems; in particular, ruthenates and/or magnetic functional materials (e.g., strontium ruthenate oxides of the Ruddlesden Popper phases). These systems exhibit complex interplay between the charge, spin, orbital and lattice degrees of freedom.

We use single crystals, thin films and heterostructures of these materials to explore their unique magnetic/electronic properties. 

Topological Quantum Materials and Thermoelectricity

We explore the potential of topological insulator boundary states for thermoelectricity to realize a variety of high-performance thermoelectric devices.

Combined studies of thin film growth and characterizations, as well as quantum transport explorations of novel functionalities in nanoscale topological devices are performed. 

 

Our research focuses on epitaxial thin films of the metallic delafossite PdCoO₂, a material of growing interest due to its ultrahigh in-plane electrical conductivity, extreme anisotropic transport, and potential to uncover novel low-dimensional quantum phenomena. Using pulsed laser deposition (PLD), we achieve atomic-level precision in the growth of PdCoO₂ thin films. Our work aims to explore the magnetotransport properties of ultraclean PdCoO₂ systems and integrate them with other complex oxides to enable next-generation electronic and spintronic applications. By precisely tuning thickness and strain, we seek to engineer emergent electronic functionalities and advance the fundamental understanding of delafossite oxide physics.

𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬! 🎉

Our recent paper, “𝐿𝑎𝑦𝑒𝑟-𝑑𝑒𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑛-𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑑 𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑐 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑔𝑛𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐 𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑙𝑒-𝑙𝑎𝑦𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑟𝑢𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑆𝑟₄𝑅𝑢₃𝑂₁₀,” has been selected as an Advanced Light Source (ALS) 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 by a panel of 𝐀𝐋𝐒 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬, 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬. 🔗 Science Highlight: 𝐏𝐢𝐧𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐌𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐦𝐬…

Openings

Often but not always, we are looking for graduate students (PhD candidates) and Postdocs to join our Quantum Heterostructures and Device Physics Lab. Interested candidates, who would like to pursue a PhD program at LSU with us or working as…

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