CEM | MRSEC| ENCOMM | IMR |

The Center for Emergent Materials (CEM)

The Department of Physics is proud to house this new NSF funded Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC). There are about 75 personnel involved in the CEM, including 21 faculty members from 2 colleges and 4 departments; 3 senior investigators; 25 graduate students; 2 post-doctoral scholars; 20 undergraduate students; and 4 staff members.

The CEM performs integrated research on emergent materials and phenomena in magnetoelectronics. The aim of the CEM is to lay down the scientific foundation for building both future oxide-based electronic devices that can perform multiple functions, and energy efficient, fast computers that have integrated memory and logic. The scientific foundation is in the form of deep and comprehensive understanding of the emergent materials and phenomena, and the development of highly sophisticated experimental and theoretical tools required to study them. At the heart of the CEM are two ENCOMM-nucleated Interdisciplinary Research Groups (IRGs) integrated with enhancing classroom education and education outreach activities. Co-lead by Profs. Ezekiel Johnston-Halperin and Julia S. Meyer of the Department of Physics, CEM sponsors a Seed Funding program, which provides the necessary flexibility and vitality to the CEM in responding swiftly and effectively to the rapidly-changing landscape of advanced materials research.

IRG-1: Towards Spin-Preserving, Heterogeneous Spin Networks The IRG 1 team is developing a new understanding of electron-spin injection and transport in low-dimensional, spin-preserving materials such as silicon and carbon. The IRG-1 team consists of 10 faculty members, and it is co-led by Profs. P. Chris Hammel and Ezekiel Johnston-Halperin, both of Department of Physics.	IRG-2: Double Perovskite Interfaces and Heterostructures Double perovskites are unique materials whose properties can be widely varied through chemical substitution. The IRG-2 team consists of 9 faculty members, and it is co-led by Prof. Patrick M. Woodward of Department of Chemistry and Prof. Leonard J. Brillson of Department of Physics and Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.	Theory/Modeling Cluster Consisting of faculty members from both IRGs, this group is organized to help integrate experimental and theoretical efforts across the CEM. Prof. Nandini Trivedi of Department Physics leads this effort.