Research
MSE research at UC Santa Cruz encompasses the areas of quantum materials, spintronics, photovoltaics, photonics, and biomaterials — with projects spanning experimental, theoretical, and computational approaches to drive comprehensive research.
State-of-the-art facilities support groundbreaking research in materials science and engineering.
Research Areas
Photonics, Photovoltaics, and Electronics
Applied Optics Group
Holger Schmidt
The Applied Optics Group develops new, highly sensitive methods to study single particles with optical methods.
Nanostructured Energy Conversion Technology and Research (NECTAR) Group
Nobby Kobayashi
The NECTAR Group conducts basic and applied research in physical properties emerging from materials tailored at the length scale ranging from 10-9 m to 10-3 m.
Radiological Instrumentation Laboratory (RIL)
Shiva Abbaszadeh
The RIL focuses on all things X-ray imaging with applications in medical imaging, bio sensors, crystallography, threat detection, and high energy physics and particle detection.
Ayzner Group
Alexander Ayzner
Interested in understanding the influence of molecular and macromolecular structure of small-molecule and polymeric organic semiconductors on the efficiency and dynamics of light harvesting.
Rolandi Group in Bioelectronics
Marco Rolandi
The Rolandi Group focuses on micro-, nano- bio-/bio-inspired materials with integration in bioelectronic/bioprotonic devices and translational applications.
Yanik Lab – Nanoengineering
Ahmet Yanik
Working with extreme biosensing, rare cell isolation, nanophotonics & plasmonics, and phononic metamaterials.
Zhang Lab
Jin Zhang
Zhang designs, synthesizes, and studies novel nanostructured materials for energy conversion and biomedical applications using ultrafast lasers and other techniques.
Topological Quantum Matter Group
Aris Alexandradinata
Research interests include the development of a new paradigm for topological metals/insulators, finding their material realizations, and identifying their unique phenomenology (e.g., electromagnetic quantum/semiclassical effects), with an eye toward device applications in sustainable technologies (e.g., photovoltaics).
Thin-film Optoelectronics Lab
Sue A Carter
Renewable Energy, Sustainable Systems, and Optoelectronics.
Quantum Materials
Ayzner Group
Alexander Ayzner
Interested in understanding the influence of molecular and macromolecular structure of small-molecule and polymeric organic semiconductors on the efficiency and dynamics of light harvesting.
Shaowei Chen Lab
Shaowei Chen
Chen researches functional nanomaterials and develops new electrochemical energy technologies.
Li Lab
Yat Li
Li designs and develops novel materials for applications in catalysis, energy conversion, and energy storage.
The Wang Group
Xiao Wang
Wang studies electronic structures of materials and how they interact with light using theoretical tools. This research focuses on the development of ab initio quantum chemistry methods for large systems, especially periodic solids, as well as their applications in drug development, renewable energy, and catalysis.
Zhang Lab
Jin Zhang
Zhang designs, synthesizes, and studies novel nanostructured materials for energy conversion and biomedical applications using ultrafast lasers and other techniques.
Yanik Lab – Nanoengineering
Ahmet Yanik
Working with extreme biosensing, rare cell isolation, nanophotonics & plasmonics, and phononic metamaterials.
Topological Quantum Matter Group
Aris Alexandradinata
Research interests include the development of a new paradigm for topological metals/insulators, finding their material realizations, and identifying their unique phenomenology (e.g., electromagnetic quantum/semiclassical effects), with an eye toward device applications in sustainable technologies (e.g., photovoltaics).
Baumbach Lab
Ryan Baumbach
Baumbach studies electronic structures of materials and how they interact with light using theoretical tools. His research focuses on the development of ab initio quantum chemistry methods for large systems, especially periodic solids, as well as their applications in drug development, renewable energy, and catalysis.
Shastry Group
B Sriram Shastry
Physics
Syzranov Group
Sergey Syzranov
Research interests include transport in disordered materials, localisation-delocalisation transitions, spin liquids, spin glasses, disordered bosons, physics of graphene and 3D Dirac materials, quantum information and decoherence (open-system dynamics, quantum-chaotic systems, quantum information scrambling, etc.) and physics of ultracold particles in optical lattices and magnetic traps.
Velasco Lab
Jairo Velasco Jr.
Our research aims to characterize and manipulate the properties of two-dimensional materials (2D) with unprecedented sensitivity and atomic scale precision. The properties of these materials are being intensively studied because of their unique electronic and structural attributes, which may form the basis of future electronic devices.
Lederman Lab
David Lederman
The Lederman group seeks to understand the fundamental properties of materials in reduced dimensions. Of particular interest are properties resulting from interfaces between dissimilar materials (e.g., magnetic, ferroelectric, multiferroic, and biological materials). In many cases, the electronic interface interactions in these nanoscale materials are expected to be the basis of future electronic devices. Many of the research projects are collaborative and interdisciplinary in nature.
Yan Lab
Aiming Yan
Our group focuses on atomic-/nano-scale structural and property tailoring, and in-situ/operando study of functional materials via combined synthesis and advanced microscopy approaches. We are especially interested in precise structural design of atomically thin two-dimensional materials by using a state-of-the-art in-situ transmission electron microscope that is equipped with a sub-Angstrom electron beam. This effort enables further exploration of novel electrical and magnetic properties hosted in these nano- even atomic-sized local structures. Another main research direction we are pursuing is to develop new material synthesis techniques based on chemical/physical vapor deposition methods to create novel two-dimensional materials and heterostructures with emerging physical properties.
Magnetism and Magnetic Materials
Applied Optics Group
Holger Schmidt
The Applied Optics Group develops new, highly sensitive methods to study single particles with optical methods.
Baumbach Lab
Ryan Baumbach
Baumbach studies electronic structures of materials and how they interact with light using theoretical tools. His research focuses on the development of ab initio quantum chemistry methods for large systems, especially periodic solids, as well as their applications in drug development, renewable energy, and catalysis.
Lederman Lab
David Lederman
The Lederman group seeks to understand the fundamental properties of materials in reduced dimensions. Of particular interest are properties resulting from interfaces between dissimilar materials (e.g., magnetic, ferroelectric, multiferroic, and biological materials). In many cases, the electronic interface interactions in these nanoscale materials are expected to be the basis of future electronic devices. Many of the research projects are collaborative and interdisciplinary in nature.
Ramirez Lab
Art Ramirez
The focus of our lab is the discovery and exploration of novel electronic phases of matter, in pursuit of new principles and technologies. We use a variety of measurement techniques down to cryogenic temperatures to probe a large variety of materials, including magnets (geometrically frustrated, quantum, and low-dimensional), semiconductors (topological insulators and strongly correlated oxides), superconductors (heavy fermions, alkali doped C60), and more.
Fischer Group
Peter Fischer
Research interests include experimental studies in nanomagnetism and spintronics with a focus on understanding novel topological spin textures, (ultra-) fast spin dynamics, and 3D nanomagnetism. We use mostly advanced magnetic x-ray microscopy and spectroscopy techniques at large scale facilities, such as the Advanced Light Source or the Molecular Foundry at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Syzranov Group
Sergey Syzranov
Research interests include transport in disordered materials, localisation-delocalisation transitions, spin liquids, spin glasses, disordered bosons, physics of graphene and 3D Dirac materials, quantum information and decoherence (open-system dynamics, quantum-chaotic systems, quantum information scrambling, etc.) and physics of ultracold particles in optical lattices and magnetic traps.
Velasco Lab
Jairo Velasco Jr.
Our research aims to characterize and manipulate the properties of two-dimensional materials (2D) with unprecedented sensitivity and atomic scale precision. The properties of these materials are being intensively studied because of their unique electronic and structural attributes, which may form the basis of future electronic devices.
Yan Lab
Aiming Yan
Our group focuses on atomic-/nano-scale structural and property tailoring, and in-situ/operando study of functional materials via combined synthesis and advanced microscopy approaches. We are especially interested in precise structural design of atomically thin two-dimensional materials by using a state-of-the-art in-situ transmission electron microscope that is equipped with a sub-Angstrom electron beam. This effort enables further exploration of novel electrical and magnetic properties hosted in these nano- even atomic-sized local structures. Another main research direction we are pursuing is to develop new material synthesis techniques based on chemical/physical vapor deposition methods to create novel two-dimensional materials and heterostructures with emerging physical properties.
Roy Group
Sujoy Roy
Roy’s research is in the emerging area of topological magnetic phenomenon at materials surface/interface, equilibrium and driven magnetization dynamics using resonant x-ray magnetic scattering and x-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS).
Energy Materials
Ayzner Group
Alexander Ayzner
Interested in understanding the influence of molecular and macromolecular structure of small-molecule and polymeric organic semiconductors on the efficiency and dynamics of light harvesting.
Shaowei Chen Lab
Shaowei Chen
Chen researches functional nanomaterials and develops new electrochemical energy technologies.
Li Lab
Yat Li
Li designs and develops novel materials for applications in catalysis, energy conversion, and energy storage.
Oliver Lab
Scott Oliver
Our group works in the area of materials chemistry for environmental, energy and biomaterials applications. The projects are interdisciplinary and utilize a variety of solid and solution based characterization techniques.
The Wang Group
Xiao Wang
Wang studies electronic structures of materials and how they interact with light using theoretical tools. This research focuses on the development of ab initio quantum chemistry methods for large systems, especially periodic solids, as well as their applications in drug development, renewable energy, and catalysis.
Zhang Lab
Jin Zhang
Zhang designs, synthesizes, and studies novel nanostructured materials for energy conversion and biomedical applications using ultrafast lasers and other techniques.
Neuromorphic Materials
Lederman Lab
David Lederman
The Lederman group seeks to understand the fundamental properties of materials in reduced dimensions. Of particular interest are properties resulting from interfaces between dissimilar materials (e.g., magnetic, ferroelectric, multiferroic, and biological materials). In many cases, the electronic interface interactions in these nanoscale materials are expected to be the basis of future electronic devices. Many of the research projects are collaborative and interdisciplinary in nature.
Nanostructured Energy Conversion Technology and Research (NECTAR) Group
Nobby Kobayashi
The NECTAR Group conducts basic and applied research in physical properties emerging from materials tailored at the length scale ranging from 10-9 m to 10-3 m.
Velasco Lab
Jairo Velasco Jr.
Our research aims to characterize and manipulate the properties of two-dimensional materials (2D) with unprecedented sensitivity and atomic scale precision. The properties of these materials are being intensively studied because of their unique electronic and structural attributes, which may form the basis of future electronic devices.
Yan Lab
Aiming Yan
Our group focuses on atomic-/nano-scale structural and property tailoring, and in-situ/operando study of functional materials via combined synthesis and advanced microscopy approaches. We are especially interested in precise structural design of atomically thin two-dimensional materials by using a state-of-the-art in-situ transmission electron microscope that is equipped with a sub-Angstrom electron beam. This effort enables further exploration of novel electrical and magnetic properties hosted in these nano- even atomic-sized local structures. Another main research direction we are pursuing is to develop new material synthesis techniques based on chemical/physical vapor deposition methods to create novel two-dimensional materials and heterostructures with emerging physical properties.
Biomaterials and Bioelectronics
Oliver Lab
Scott Oliver
Our group works in the area of materials chemistry for environmental, energy and biomaterials applications. The projects are interdisciplinary and utilize a variety of solid and solution based characterization techniques.
Shaowei Chen Lab
Shaowei Chen
Chen researches functional nanomaterials and develops new electrochemical energy technologies.
Rolandi Group in Bioelectronics
Marco Rolandi
The Rolandi Group focuses on micro-, nano- bio-/bio-inspired materials with integration in bioelectronic/bioprotonic devices and translational applications.
Sharf Lab
Tal Sharf
Understanding the human neurodevelopmental process promises to answer some of the most fundamental questions of our time: how do a handful of cells transform into the mysterious and complex matter that is the human brain, and how do external sensory inputs shape that trajectory? To address these questions, we combine 3D human stem-cell brain models with high-resolution neuro-electronics and optogenetic tools to map and interact with neuronal circuitry. Our system enables monitoring neuronal signaling at the single-cell level across large multi-cellular networks, thus providing heuristic opportunities to uncover how human neuronal circuits wire during neurodevelopment and how those circuits are disrupted in the context of neurodevelopmental disorders and disease. Our lab is a part of the vibrant and interdisciplinary Braingeneers consortium.
Raskatov Group
Jevgenij Raskatov
The Raskatov lab pursues two independent research interest themes that may be broadly defined as (i) biomedical and (ii) materials research.
(i) We use a cross-disciplinary chemical neuroscience approach that combines experiment with theory to rationally design novel approaches to block toxicity of Amyloid Beta to develop Alzheimer’s Disease therapeutics. We are also becoming increasingly interested in methionine oxidation and the aging brain.
(ii) In developing Amyloid Beta Chiral Inactivation we became interested in the “rippled sheet”, a structural motif hypothesized by Linus Pauling and Robert Corey in 1953. In 2022, almost 70 years later, our lab published the first crystallographic study of rippled sheets. We are now using our insights to devise supramolecular rippled sheet polymers as a new class of peptidic materials with unique properties.