Layer by Layer: Adventures in Thin Films

Nanometer-scale thin films are both vital to current and future technology and can also yield fascinating physics that differs from macroscopic material properties.  Perovskite oxide materials in particular are a ripe playground for interesting effects since a wide variety of materials sharing similar crystal structures means that they can be manipulated like atomic Legos. Here I will highlight some of the “adventures” I’ve had both making and measuring these materials, with a focus on novel ferroic materials, which includes magnetic and ferroelectric systems and the search for oxides where these properties coexist. This includes using x-rays to measure film growth in real time, how atoms in crystals can be stretched into changing their properties, and recent work involving undergraduate students at CSUSB.  

Speaker: Sara Callori, CSU Santa Barbara