OnlineLectures

ASP Online Seminars: Epitaxy of Quantum Heterostructures and Physics Devices

Tuesday 12 Aug 2025, 13:00 → 14:30 UTC

Description

Abstract:

My research focuses on the design and growth of oxide heterostructures for future energy and electronic applications.
I will discuss our work on transparent conducting oxides for next-generation transparent electronic devices and ionic conducting oxides for their potential use in clean energy technologies. These materials are grown with atomic-level precision and characterized using advanced techniques to uncover their functional properties.

One of my main research interests is in 4d correlated electron systems, particularly the strontium ruthenate family of Ruddlesden-Popper phases. These complex oxides exhibit a rich interplay of charge, spin, orbital, and lattice degrees of freedom, giving rise to emergent quantum phenomena such as unconventional magnetism and metamagnetism. By studying both bulk crystals and epitaxial thin films, we aim to uncover the underlying physics and control these behaviors for potential device applications.

We also work on the epitaxial growth of metallic delafossite PdCoO₂, a material known for its ultrahigh in-plane conductivity and extreme anisotropic transport. Using pulsed laser deposition, we fabricate high-quality thin films to study their magnetotransport properties and explore their integration with other complex oxides. Our goal is to leverage these unique materials to advance the development of next-generation oxide-based electronic and spintronic devices.

Lastly, I will share my interest in the African Light Source (AfLS) project, as someone who has used synchrotron light sources for many years. I will discuss how I believe AfLS can play a key role in advancing African science and fostering the return of African scientists from the diaspora.

Bio of the speaker:

Dr. Prosper Ngabonziza is an Assistant Professor of Physics in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at Louisiana State University. He received his BSc in Physics from the University of Rwanda and completed a postgraduate diploma in mathematical sciences with cum laude at the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) in 2010. He earned a Master’s degree in experimental physics with cum laude from the University of Johannesburg in 2012, where his dissertation was recognized with the 2013 S2A3 Bronze Medal by the Southern Africa Association for the Advancement of Science. He completed his PhD in engineering physics in 2016 at the University of Twente in the Netherlands, focusing on topological insulators. From 2016 to 2022, he was a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research in Germany, investigating quantum matter heterostructures based on complex oxides.

Dr. Ngabonziza’s research focuses on the epitaxial growth and characterization of quantum materials and oxide heterostructures for electronic and energy applications. He is Deputy Chair of the Executive Committee of the African Light Source Foundation, a major initiative to establish a synchrotron light source in Africa. He is also a Fellow of the Rwanda Academy of Science and the Global Young Academy (GYA). He served as a GYS Co-Chair in 2022–2023.