CM-AMO Seminar | Quantum Materials for Magnetism and Energy

In recent years, numerous magnetic van der Waals layered quantum materials have been reported, including transition-metal halides, transition-metal chalcogenides, transition-metal phosphorus chalcogenides, and metal oxy- and chalco-halides. Unlike 3D counterparts, layered magnets can be easily and rapidly exfoliated to yield ultra-thin magnets, providing unique opportunities for both fundamental physics and new technologies. Furthermore, these materials enable unprecedented experimental access to the ground states, fundamental excitations, and magnon dynamics, as they are highly susceptible to external stimuli. In this talk, I will present and discuss our recent findings in tuning the magnetic properties of quasi-2D layered van der Waals quantum magnets by intercalation, photoexcitation, proton irradiation, and by the application of pressure. If time permits, I will briefly discuss our recent efforts in solving the problems related to energy materials by employing magnetometry and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. NSF, NRC, ACS PRF, and DOE supported this work. 

Some recent publications from our group:

1. Spin-phonon coupling and magnetic transition in an organic molecule intercalated Cr2Ge2Te6, Nano Letters., 24, 9169 (2024).
2. Proton-fluence dependent magnetic properties of exfoliable quasi-2D van der Waals Cr2Si2Te6 magnet, J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 36 (2024) 225801.
3. Spin-Selective Oxygen Evolution Reaction in Chiral Iron Oxide Nanoparticles: Synergistic Impact of Inherent Magnetic Moment and Chirality, Nano Letters 23, 9042 (2023).
4. Magnetic Properties of intercalated quasi-2D Fe 3-x GeTe 2 van der Waals magnet, npj 2D Materials and Applications (2023) 7:56.
5. Pressure-Dependent Magnetic Properties of Quasi-2D Cr2Si2Te6 and Mn3Si2Te6, J. Phys. Chem. C 127, 10324 (2023).
6. Helicity-Dependent Coherent Spin-Phonon Oscillations in the Ferromagnetic van der Waals Crystal CrI 3, Nature Communications, 13, 4473 (2022).
7. Pressure dependent magnetic properties on bulk CrBr 3 single crystals, Journal of Alloys and Compounds 911, 165034 (2022).
8. Light Induced Electron Spin Resonance Properties of van der Waals CrX 3 (X = Cl, I) Crystals, Applied Physics Letters 117, 082406 (2020).
9. Enhanced magnetization in proton irradiated, Mn3Si2Te6 van der Waals crystals, Appl. Phys. Lett. 116, 172404 (2020)
10. Coherent Spin-Phonon Coupling in the Layered Ferrimagnet Mn3Si2Te6, arXiv:2308.14931v1 (submitted, 2025).
11. Room Temperature Spontaneous Pt Reduction on Defective BN for Single Atom Catalysis: A promising scalable, robust, low-cost, and efficient catalytic alternative to bulk Pt, Materials Today 51, 108 (2021).
12. Critical phenomena of the layered ferrimagnet Mn3Si2Te6 following proton irradiation, J. Appl. Phys. 130, 013902 (2021).
13. 2D correlations in the van der Waals ferromagnet CrBr3 using high frequency electron spin resonance spectroscopy, J. Appl. Phys. 129, 233902 (2021).
14. Magnetic and electrocatalytic properties of transition metal doped MoS2 nanocrystals, Journal of Applied Physics 124, 153903 (2018).
15. Paramagnetic Defects in Hydrothermally Grown Few-Layered MoS2 Nanocrystals, Journal of Materials Research (Invited) 33, 1565 (2018).
16. Antiferromagnetism and the emergence of frustration in saw-tooth lattice Mn2SiS4-xSex (x = 0-4) chalcogenides, Phys. Rev. B 99, 184434 (2019).

Bio: Srinivasa Rao Singamaneni is tenured and an Associate Professor in the Physics Department at the University of Texas El Paso (UTEP). He received his Ph.D. in Physics in 2008 from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, working under the supervision of Prof. S V Bhat. His doctoral work focused on the study of nanoscale charge ordered manganites. He then joined the group of Prof. Andre Stesmans at the University of Leuven (Belgium), focusing on the carbon nanotubes and graphene nanoribbons. He then secured NRC/NAS postdoc position at Army Research Office, USA, working on multiferroic materials.

He joined Faculty at UTEP in 2016. His primary research focuses on two interconnected research thrusts: (a) investigate the magnetic properties of quasi-2D magnetic properties of quantum materials, (b) develop and apply operando (electron) spin techniques to solve the problems related to catalysis and energy materials. He received the funding from NSF DMR, NSF MRI, NSF CBET, ACS PRF, NRC, and DOE LDRD. Under his mentorship, his students secured NSF GRFP, DOE SCGSR, and Outstanding Dissertation Awards and placed at Stanford, Caltech, Rice, UT Austin, and LANL for Ph.D. and postdoc positions. He serves in MRS Awards Committee and Kavli Young Scientist Award Committee. He raised more than $6.37 M to initiate, run, and establish the research programs in his group at UTEP. He published 85 peer-reviewed articles (total) in the leading international journals. His work has been widely recognized in the community as reflected from more than 3000 citations, 35 invited talks, and h-index of 23. As a lead organizer, he has been organizing MRS Spring Meetings since 2019 on quantum and energy materials.