Interfaces between semiconductors play an essential role in many applications that seem indispensable to us, such as mobile communication, barcode readers and laser pointers. Recently, a new class of materials based on oxides has seen a similar explosion of interest as semiconductors 50 years ago. These complex oxides exhibit a rich variety of functional properties including some that are unattainable in conventional semiconductors. Cuprates, for example, exhibit superconductivity, the ability to transport electricity without loss, at unusually high temperatures, and manganites are renowned for collosal magnetoresistance, the remarkably large variation in electrical resistance in the presence of a magnetic field that could revolutionize sensor applications. The goal of my research is to advance the understanding of the emergent functionalities at oxide interfaces, which will ultimately lead to new strategies to control them and to engineer materials that will transform technology.
Fellow