Driven by recent advances in the production of high-quality thin films of complex-oxide materials, great attention has been given to the use of such approaches to generate new function. As part of this work we explore the use of epitaxial strain, superlattice and artificial heterostructures, compositional and strain gradients, and much more to produce physical effects not expected from classical understanding of materials. Our comprehensive approach includes aspects of materials design, synthesis, device fabrication, and advanced characterization development and utilization. Recent work in this regard has demonstrated emergent magnetism at interfaces, the evolution of polar vortex structures in superlattices, polarization gradients in compositionally-graded films, multi-state switching in ferroelectrics, and much more.

To elicit the properties one desires from materials requires precise control of the nature of that material. This area of research aims to provide unprecedented control of complex materials – including shining light on the coupling between material chemistry and defects with epitaxial strain and material properties. The goal is to develop pathways to manipulate and control materials such that designer structures and properties can be produced. Our comprehensive approach includes aspects of materials design, synthesis, device fabrication, and advanced characterization development and utilization. Recent work in this regard has highlighted the intimate connection of material chemistry to the evolution of electronic, thermal, optical, dielectric, ferroelectric, etc. properties, has demonstrated defect-based routes to enhance ordering temperatures and stability of materials, has illuminated both in situ during growth and ex situ processing approaches to deterministically produce specific defect structures that can improve material properties, and has explored routes to characterize such effects in materials.