Electronic Materials


Electronic Materials research encompasses a variety of materials, including semiconductors, magnetic materials, and optical materials. They can be both inorganic and organic. The most common applications for electronic materials are computer chips, optical devices such as LEDs and diode lasers, sensors, and materials designed to take advantage of unique quantum properties. At UF, we’re examining novel methods of creating and doping semiconductors and growing interesting new materials with unique magnetic and electrical properties for future devices. We’re even investigating ways of making organic photovoltaic devices that may promise inexpensive energy harvesting.

Faculty

Photo of Megan Butala Megan Butala Assistant Professor
(352) 294-7876

 

Education: Ph.D., 2017, University of California, Santa Barbara

Research Interests: energy storage materials, functional and electronic materials, lithium-ion batteries, structure-property relationships, X-ray diffraction, pair distribution function analysis, local structure, amorphous and disordered materials

Lab Website: Butala Research Group

Photo of Yijia Gu Yijia Gu Assistant Professor
352-273-0292

 

Education: Ph.D. 2014, Pennsylvania State University

Research Interest: Computational materials, CALPHAD, Phase-field method, Machine learning, Ferroelectric materials, Physical metallurgy, Recycling aluminum, Additive manufacturing, Microstructure evolution, Rapid solidification, Phase transformation

Photo of Richard Hennig Richard Hennig Professor, Alumni Professor of Materials Science & Engineering
(352) 392-7327

 

Education: Ph.D., 2000, Washington University in St. Louis

Research interests: AI-driven and ab-initio materials science; deep learning and generative models for materials prediction and inverse design; interpretable machine-learning force fields; quantum and superconducting materials; molecular magnetic qubits and spin coherence; electronic-structure and phonon-based modeling of electron–phonon coupling; electrochemical and solid–liquid interfaces; and open computational frameworks linking predictive AI, first-principles simulation, and experiment.…

Photo of Jennifer Hite Jennifer Hite Professor
(352) 273-3714

Ph.D., 2006, University of Florida

Research Interests: Growth and Characterization of Wide and Ultra-wide Bandgap Semiconductor Materials

Photo of Kevin S. Jones Kevin Jones MSE Graduate Coordinator, Distinguished Professor, Frederick N. Rhines Professor of Materials Science & Engineering
(352) 846-3301

 

Education: Ph.D., 1987, University of California-Berkeley

Research Interests: Electronic materials, semiconductor processing and characterization, ion implantation, transmission electron microscopy.

Lab Website: Swamp Group

Impact of Materials on Society (IMOS) is on Instagram!

Dr. Kevin S. Jones is a Distinguished Professor and holds the Fredrick N Rhines Chair in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) at UF.…

Photo of Juan Claudio Nino Juan Claudio Nino Professor
(352) 846-3787

 

Education: Ph. D., 2002, The Pennsylvania State University

Research Interests: sustainable material synthesis; advanced functional ceramics; nuclear energy; applied and explainable AI in materials science, neuromorphic memory, connectomics and graph theory, single crystal growth, materials under extreme environments; radiation effects on electronics; plant-derived materials; bioceramics.

Lab Website: Nino Research Group (NRG)

Photo of David P. Norton David Norton Professor and Vice President of Research
(352) 392-9271

Ph. D., 1989, Louisiana State University

Research Interests: Electronic, photonic, and magnetic thin film materials; electronic oxide materials; thin film deposition

Photo of Jiangeng Xue Jiangeng Xue Professor
(352) 846-3775

Ph.D., 2005, Princeton University

Research Interests: Nanostructured electronic materials, organic-inorganic hybrid materials, surfaces and interfaces, energy materials, photovoltaic cells, light-emitting diodes and other optoelectronic devices

Lab Website: Xue Research Group