Professor Nagarajan Valanoor

BIOGRAPHY

Description

My research focuses on a class of materials called ferroics. Ferroics are so-called “functional materials” used for applications such as computer memory, sensors and medical imaging etc. Our group spends hours trying make these ferroics at very tiny dimensions and to see what happens when ferroics are scaled down to the size of a few nanometers. The challenge is not only in making them but also seeing these nanostructures and measuring their properties. At such length scales, the background noise often overrides the signal of interest. A significant part of our research thus involves understanding these very precise corrections to the signal.

Education

• PhD in Materials Science and Engineering (University of Maryland, 2001)
• Bach. Engg in Metallurgy, 1997 (University of Pune)

RESEARCH

My Research Goals

• Ultra-thin ferroics
• Interface effects in functional nanostructures
• Non-oxide multilayers for visible light photo catalysis
• Thin film epitaxy
• Scanning probe microscopy of functional materials

My Research in Detail

In our group we are interested in the properties of a material at an interface. In fact often the system of interest is so small that the surface area dominates over the volume – we called this surface and interface mediated phenomena. We study interface morphology, chemistry and structure and its effect ultimately on the properties.

Current Student Projects (PhD and Honours)

1. Interface effects in ferroelectric/multiferroic thin films

2. Nanostructured interfaces for chemical sensing and resistive switching applications

3. Solution processing of complex metal oxide functional materials

Supervision Opportunities/Areas

I am always looking for prospective students interested in nanomaterials and interface/surface phenomena. For projects please write to me. I do read and reply to emails from students….

Advice for prospective students

Our lab thrives on research excellence. This means there is always high pressure to publish in leading journals. All students thus have to develop a sense of humour and a thick skin to survive the lab. In depth knowledge of Monty Python and other classic comedy is an added advantage. Of course we get to do visit international labs, conferences and workshops. Our international collaborators come from leading labs in the US, Europe and Asia-Pacific region, and often students combine visits to collaborator labs with a conference.

TEACHING & OUTREACH

Courses I teach

MATS 3005 Phase Transformations

Professional affiliations and service positions

Postgraduate Co-ordinator , School of Materials Science and Engineering

Ferrocom member, IEEEE Ferroelectrics Committee

Member on the advisory board of the Piezoresponse Force Microscopy workshops.

AWARDS & ACHIEVEMENTS

2014 IEEE Ferroelectrics Young Investigator award
2013 PGC Supervisor Award Finalist
2012 Vice Chancellors Award for Postgraduate Supervision
2012 Faculty of Science Excellence in Teaching and Research Award
2010 Young investigator award, International Symposium on Integrated Functionalities
2009 Edgeworth David Medal
2006 – 2013 Australian Research Council Fellow,