Overview
Emergent electronic and magnetic properties in quantum materials including high-temperature superconductivity, unconventional magnetism, and metal-insulator transitions. In particular, we are interested in how properties can be controlled in artificially engineered quantum materials grown by molecular beam epitaxy using parameters such as interfacial engineering, heterostructuring, epitaxial strain, and dimensional confinement.
Research Focus
Our research focuses on investigating many-body interactions in quantum materials, with the aim of controlling potentially exotic properties such as superconductivity, magnetism, metal-insulator transitions, and topological properties. We employ a combination of techniques including angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), and synchrotron-based x-ray probes including x-ray absorption spectroscopy and resonant x-ray scattering. A major research thrust is the synthesis and investigation of artificially engineered heterostructures of quantum materials synthesized by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) with strong electron correlations which allow new emergent states to be created at the interface.
Graduate Students
Chad Mowers
Postdocs
Shuolong Yang (Kavli Fellow), Pramita Mishra, Ludi Miao
Undergraduate Students
Sophie Crisp, Alex Hirst, Yifan Su, Matthew Fu
Awards and Honors
- NSERC Howard Alper Prize
- Director of Undergraduate Studies, 2016-2020
- NSF CAREER Award, 2009
- Research Corporation Cottrell Scholar Award, 2010
- National Academy of Sciences Kavli Frontiers Fellow, 2010
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research Young Investigator Award, 2011
- Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, 2011
- Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award, 2012
Professional Experience
- NSERC / Killam Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of British Columbia.
- Assistant Professor, Physics, Cornell University, 2007-2013.
- Associate Professor of Physics, 2013-2017.
- Professor, 2017-present.
Publications
K.M. Shen. Putting the squeeze on superconductivity. Science 355, 133 (2017).
C. Gutiérrez, C.-J. Kim, L. Brown, E.B. Lochocki, K.M. Shen, J. Park, and A.N. Pasupathy. Imaging chiral symmetry breaking from Kekulé bond order in graphene. Nature Physics 12, 950 (2016).
H.I. Wei, C. Adamo, E.A. Nowadnick, E.B. Lochocki, S. Chatterjee, J.P. Ruf, M.R. Beasley, D.G. Schlom, and K.M. Shen. Electron Doping of the Parent Cuprate La2CuO4 without Cation Substitution. Physical Review Letters 117 (2016).
B. Burganov, C. Adamo, A. Mulder, M. Uchida, P.D.C. King, J.W. Harter, D.E. Shai, A.S. Gibbs, A.P. Mackenzie, R. Uecker, M. Bruetzam, M.R. Beasley, C.J. Fennie, D.G. Schlom, and K.M. Shen. Strain Control of Fermiology and Many-Body Interactions in Two-Dimensional Ruthenates. Physical Review Letters 116, 197003 (2016).
Y.F. Nie, D. Di Sante, S. Chatterjee, P.D.C. King, M. Uchida, S. Ciuchi, D.G. Schlom, and K.M. Shen. Formation and observation of a quasi-two-dimensional dxy electron liquid in epitaxially stabilized Sr2-xLaxTiO4 thin films. Physical Review Letters 115, 096405 (2015)
P.D.C. King, H.I. Wei, Y.F. Nie, M. Uchida, C. Adamo, S. Zhu, X. He, I. Bozovic, D.G. Schlom, and K.M. Shen. Atomic-scale control of competing electronic phases in ultrathin LaNiO3. Nature Nanotechnology 9, 443 (2014)
Y.F. Nie, P.D.C. King, C.H. Kim, M. Uchida, H.I. Wei, C.J. Fennie, D.G. Schlom, and K.M. Shen. Interplay of spin-orbit interactions, dimensionality, and octahedral rotations in semimetallic SrIrO3. Physical Review Letters 114, 016401 (2015)
E.J. Monkman, C. Adamo, J.A. Mundy, D.E. Shai, J.W. Harter, D.W. Shen, B. Burganov, D.A. Muller, D.G. Schlom, and K.M. Shen. Quantum Many-Body Interactions in Digital Oxide Superlattices. Nature Materials 11, 855 (2012)
Y.F. Nie, Y. Zhu, C.-H. Lee, L.F Kourkoutis, J.A. Mundy, J. Junquera, Ph. Ghosez, D.J. Baek, S. Sung, X.X. Xi, K.M. Shen, D.A. Muller, and D.G. Schlom. Atomically precise interfaces from non-stoichiometric deposition. Nature Communications 5:4530 (2014)
K.E. Arpino, D.C. Wallace, Y.F. Nie, T. Birol, P.D.C. King, S. Chatterjee, M. Uchida, S.M. Koohpayeh, J.-J. Wen, K. Page, C.J. Fennie, K.M. Shen, and T.M. McQueen. Evidence for Topologically Protected Surface States and a Superconducting Phase in [Tl4](Tl1−xSnx)Te3 Using Photoemission, Specific Heat, and Magnetization Measurements, and Density Functional Theory. Physical Review Letters 112, 017002 (2014)
S. Chatterjee, J. Trinckauf, T. Hanke, D.E. Shai, J.W. Harter, T.J. Williams, G.M. Luke, K.M. Shen, and J. Geck. Formation of the Coherent Heavy Fermion Liquid at the Hidden Order Transition in URu2Si2. Physical Review Letters 110, 186401 (2013)
D.E. Shai, C. Adamo, D.W. Shen, C.M. Brooks, J.W. Harter, E.J. Monkman, B. Burganov, D.G. Schlom, and K.M. Shen. Quasiparticle Mass Enhancement and Temperature Dependence of the Electronic Structure of Ferromagnetic SrRuO3 Thin Films. Physical Review Letters 110, 087004 (2013)
In the news
- 'Flawed' material resolves superconductor conundrum
- Klarman Fellow Malinowski creates and tests quantum materials
- New Frontier Grants push boundaries in A&S research
- Cornell team develops more efficient photocathode
- A&S announces third cohort of Klarman Fellows
- Three professors elected as APS fellows
- Engineering novel hybrid superconductors
- Monolayer superconductor exhibits unusual behavior
- 30 Arts & Sciences faculty honored with endowed professorships
- Eight faculty members receive Weiss teaching awards
- Singer group will use DOE funding to create new quantum states of matter
- Keck-funded group proposes new topological superconductor
- Where did those electrons go? Decades-old mystery solved
- Uncovering new insights into quantum materials
- Electrical properties of superconductor altered by 'stretching'
