The focus of my group's research is investigating and perfecting the properties of oxide materials for electronic uses. To do this, we grow oxide thin films on single crystal substrates of closely related substances. The single crystal substrate provides a structural template for the thin films that we grow. Our focus on oxides is due to the tremendous promise that these materials hold for electrical applications.
Oxides exhibit an unparalleled variety of electronic properties.
Insulating, semiconducting, and even superconducting oxides all exist within the set of structurally compatible oxides known as perovskites. This structurally related family also includes oxides that are magnetic, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric. In short, this family of oxides contains the full spectrum of electronic properties. However, a major challenge is to prepare these materials with sufficient quality and integrate them with adequate control so that these properties can be fully utilized in electronic devices. This is our research goal.