Research Interests
Salvador
Research
Group
Our research focuses on the structure-property relationships in complex oxides and the design of advanced materials having specific structural and physical properties. Particular emphasis is placed on perovskite-based transition-metal oxides whose diverse physical properties can be directly traced back to their underlying crystalline architectures and defect structures.
New and optimized materials can be realized through careful consideration of the structural relationships to the physicochemical properties, and are important for both technological applications and fundamental scientific investigations. Our approach is to design and synthesize new materials with specific structures and to investigate their crystal and defect chemistries, as well as their physical properties. This allows us to focus our attention either on realizing materials having an inherent interest from a scientific perspective, owing to their unique structures, or on optimizing specific properties of technological interest. Research areas include materials having interesting magnetic (colossal magnetoresistance), electrical (superconductivity and mixed electronic-ionic conductivity), dielectric, ferroelectric, and optical properties.
A major factor in the successful design of new materials with specific structural characteristics is the chosen synthetic approach. Professor Salvador's group is using thin-film deposition to design materials that have specific atomic structures. The simplicity and versatility of Pulsed Laser Deposition allows for the facile development of new single-material, heterostructures, superlattices and artificial structures as thin films. A particular emphasis is placed on metastable materials and artificially designed structures that are stable only as epitaxial thin films. This is currently being applied to realize a 'materials-by-design' approach for colossal magnetoresistant materials and superconductors. Such an approach opens up entirely new avenues for exploring structure-property relationships in relevant materials systems. Interestingly, it is found that chemical and defect preferences play important roles in the stability of 'tailored' and metastable thin-films.
Professor Salvador's group is also interested in surface structure and properties of oxide films, particularly since the underlying surface state exerts a direct influence on the early stages of film growth. This can have a direct impact on the stability of desired phases or epitaxial relationships. Control over the surface state of growing films is therefore important for novel materials design. Furthermore, it can be exploited for fundamental investigations into the catalytic or sensing properties of particular surfaces and crystallographic orientations.
New and optimized materials can be realized through careful consideration of the structural relationships to the physicochemical properties, and are important for both technological applications and fundamental scientific investigations. Our approach is to design and synthesize new materials with specific structures and to investigate their crystal and defect chemistries, as well as their physical properties. This allows us to focus our attention either on realizing materials having an inherent interest from a scientific perspective, owing to their unique structures, or on optimizing specific properties of technological interest. Research areas include materials having interesting magnetic (colossal magnetoresistance), electrical (superconductivity and mixed electronic-ionic conductivity), dielectric, ferroelectric, and optical properties.
A major factor in the successful design of new materials with specific structural characteristics is the chosen synthetic approach. Professor Salvador's group is using thin-film deposition to design materials that have specific atomic structures. The simplicity and versatility of Pulsed Laser Deposition allows for the facile development of new single-material, heterostructures, superlattices and artificial structures as thin films. A particular emphasis is placed on metastable materials and artificially designed structures that are stable only as epitaxial thin films. This is currently being applied to realize a 'materials-by-design' approach for colossal magnetoresistant materials and superconductors. Such an approach opens up entirely new avenues for exploring structure-property relationships in relevant materials systems. Interestingly, it is found that chemical and defect preferences play important roles in the stability of 'tailored' and metastable thin-films.
Professor Salvador's group is also interested in surface structure and properties of oxide films, particularly since the underlying surface state exerts a direct influence on the early stages of film growth. This can have a direct impact on the stability of desired phases or epitaxial relationships. Control over the surface state of growing films is therefore important for novel materials design. Furthermore, it can be exploited for fundamental investigations into the catalytic or sensing properties of particular surfaces and crystallographic orientations.