Alumni

Geanina

Geanina Apachitei, PhD 2013 - 2017

Next move: Project Engineer, WMG Warwick

Mingmin Yang

Mingmin Yang, PDRA 2018 - 2020

Next move: Senior scientist, RIKEN, Japan

Zhengdong Luo

Zhengdong Luo, PDRA 2019 - 2020

Next move: Associate Professor, Xidian University, Xi’an, China

My current research project involves the fabrication and characterization of 2D layered materials integrated on ferroelectric thin film substrates. This research aims to explore the effect of ferroelectric polarization on optical, magnetic and electronic properties of those emerging 2D layered materials.

Alan

Alan Brunier, PhD 2015 - 2019

Next move: Patent examiner, Venner Shipley LLP, London

The topic of my PhD project is characterisation of domain walls and switching processes in ferroelectric and multiferroic systems, notably BiFeO3, Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 and BaTiO3 epitaxial thin films.

My research interests include

i) Domain wall motion.

ii) Characterisation of ferroelectric domain walls.

iii) Ferroelectric switching in capacitor devices.

iv) Strain engineering and characterisation of novel domain wall architectures.

I have extensive experience of PLD, AFM (PFM, through-electrode PFM, C-AFM), XRD, SEM, transport and magnetotransport measurements, and device fabrication. I enjoy working with collaborators using time resolved synchrotron XRD, dielectric spectroscopy, SHG, XPS and TEM to further understand the systems I study.

Wendong

Wen Dong, PDRA 2017 - 2020

Next move: Assistant Professor, Huazhong University, Wuhan, China

I am working on ferrotoridic structure: polar flux-closure, vortices and skymions. The ferrotoridic structure is a recently discovered new form of ferroic order in addition to ferroelectric, ferromagnetic, and ferroelastic ones. This research will enable us to have a more comprehensive understanding on the fundamental principle underlying this new structure. The inherent magnetoelectric coupling within this new structure is technologically interesting. I obtained my master’s degree from Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU). In SJTU, I focused on photovoltaic properties of multiferroelectric materials. I completed my PhD research from Functional Materials Group (Prof. Ray Withers and Prof. Yun Liu) in Australian National University (ANU). In ANU, I worked on polar functional materials that are potentially very useful for the “smart” devices

Please find my research outcomes in the link: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=lFyHR4MAAAAJ&hl=en.

Yooun Heo

Yooun Heo, PDRA 2019 - 2021

Next Move: Senior scientist, ETH, Zurich

My research interests span complex oxide thin films for their structure-related properties and functionalities. My research at Warwick will focus on exploring ferroelectric domain walls and spintronics for potential applications in nanoelectronics. I obtained a Ph.D. at UNSW Sydney, focusing on characterizations of nanoscale ferroelectrics by scanning probe microscopy. Recently, I completed two-year postdoctoral research fellowship, supported by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), with my main research focus on epitaxial growth of oxide thin films by pulsed laser deposition and characterization of transport and magnetization properties.

Affan Iqbal

Affan Iqbal, Masters student 2018 - 2019

Next move: PhD, University of Cambridge

Hi, I’m Affan! I recently completed a Masters degree as part of the group and have since stayed on to continue work stemming from my Master’s research. During the last 18 months, I have studied on nonlinear optical effects with investigations focussed on ferroelectric materials. My experimental approach has included scanning probe microscopy and laser spectroscopy approaches along with x-ray structural characterisations.

Specifically, my focus has been to establish a better understanding of the impact of local strain and associated strain gradients on the charge dynamics in the strained BiFeO₃ system. I am deeply interested in structure-property relationships in perovskite semiconductors in general and aim to build on this interest during my PhD.