Dr. Matthew Brahlek is an R&D staff member in the Quantum Heterostructures group in the Materials Science and Technology Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory focusing on the growth of thin film quantum materials by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and their quantum transport properties. Recently, he is a 2023 recipient of the Department of Energy’s Early Career Research Program and the 2023 Materials Science & Technology Division Early Career Research Award. His broad research interests include developing and perfecting the MBE growth of new complex material systems to drive discoveries and ultimately the ability to engineer quantum phenomena.
Presentation Title:
Tailoring Phenomena in Epitaxial Quantum Materials
Presentation Abstract:
Understanding and engineering functional quantum phenomena remain major challenges, largely due to the difficulty of integrating structurally dissimilar materials and managing the complex interplay among valence, spin, orbital, and structural degrees of freedom. In this talk, I will present recent discoveries revealing how novel phenomena can arise at the interfaces of materials grown as high-quality thin films using molecular beam epitaxy. Examples include emergent and tunable ferromagnetism [1], interfacially enhanced superconductivity [2–3], and the proposed emergence of altermagnetism [3-4]. A central message is that these breakthroughs are driven by the close coupling between materials synthesis and characterization of the electronic and magnetic properties. This integrated approach is essential for disentangling the mechanisms underlying functional quantum phenomena and for discovering how these exotic phases can be tuned—ultimately guiding the development of next-generation microelectronic technologies.
[1] M. Brahlek et al., Nano Letters, 23, 7279-7287 (2023); 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c01065
[2] R. G. Moore et al., Advanced Materials, 35, 2210940 (2023); 10.1002/adma.202210940
[3] A.-H. Chen et al., Advanced Materials, 202401809 (2024); 10.1002/adma.202401809
[3] A.-H. Chen et al., arXiv 2507.18592 (2025)
[4] M. Chilcote et al., Advanced Functional Materials, 2405829 (2024); 10.1002/adfm.202405829