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MIT associate professor of physics Riccardo Comin has been designated as the 2025 Experimental Physics Investigator by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Two alumni from MIT’s physics program — Gyu-Boong Jo PhD ’10 of Rice University, and Ben Jones PhD ’15 of the University of Texas at Arlington — also belong to this year’s group of 22 awardees.
The esteemed Experimental Physics Investigators (EPI) Initiative acknowledges mid-career researchers who are pushing the boundaries of experimental physics. Each grant offers $1.3 million over five years to facilitate innovations and enhance the experimental physics community.
At MIT, Comin examines magnetoelectric multiferroics by engineering boundaries between two-dimensional materials and three-dimensional oxide thin films. His work seeks to surpass enduring challenges in spin-charge coupling by transcending epitaxial limitations, thereby allowing for new interfacial phases and coupling mechanisms. Within these systems, Comin’s team investigates the coexistence and closeness of magnetic and ferroelectric order, concentrating on achieving robust magnetoelectric coupling. This methodology unveils new avenues for designing adaptable multiferroic systems unhindered by conventional synthesis approaches.
Comin’s inquiry broadens the boundaries of multiferroics by illustrating stacking-controlled magnetoelectric coupling at 2D–3D interfaces. This method empowers the study of fundamental physics within a versatile materials framework and unveils new opportunities for spintronics, sensing, and data storage. By eliminating the restrictions of epitaxial growth, Comin’s research establishes the groundwork for microelectronic and spintronic devices featuring novel functionalities driven by interfacial regulation of spin and polarization.
Comin’s initiative, Interfacial MAGnetoElectrics (I-MAGinE), intends to explore a new category of artificial magnetoelectric multiferroics at the interfaces of ferroic materials derived from 2D van der Waals systems and 3D oxide thin films. The team strives to identify and comprehend unique magnetoelectric phenomena to validate the feasibility of stacking-controlled interfacial magnetoelectric coupling. This study could lead to substantial advancements in multiferroics and lay the groundwork for groundbreaking, energy-efficient storage solutions.
“This research possesses the potential to yield significant advancements in the domain of multiferroics by validating the feasibility of stacking-controlled interfacial magnetoelectric coupling,” states Comin’s proposal. “The outcomes could open avenues for future applications in spintronics, data retention, and sensing. It represents a vital opportunity to delve into fundamental physics inquiries within a unique materials context, while forming a basis for future technological innovations, encompassing microelectronic and spintronic devices with distinctive functionalities.”
Comin’s group harbors extensive expertise in the study of 2D and 3D ferroic materials, electronically arranged oxide thin films, along with ultrathin van der Waals magnets, ferroelectrics, and multiferroics. Their laboratory is outfitted with cutting-edge equipment for material synthesis, which includes bulk crystal growth of van der Waals materials and pulsed laser deposition targets, as well as comprehensive fabrication and characterization facilities. Their proficiency in magneto-optical probes and advanced magnetic X-ray methodologies promises to facilitate detailed investigations of electronic and magnetic configurations, particularly spin-charge coupling, thereby significantly contributing to the understanding of spin-charge coupling in magnetochiral materials.
The occurrence of ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism in a single material, termed multiferroicity, is uncommon, and robust spin-charge coupling is even less frequent due to fundamental chemical and electronic structure incompatibilities.
The few identified bulk multiferroics exhibiting strong magnetoelectric coupling generally depend on spin arrangements that break inversion symmetry, which appear only at low temperatures, restricting practical applications. While interfacial magnetoelectric multiferroics provide an alternative, achieving effective spin-charge coupling frequently requires stringent conditions such as epitaxial growth and lattice matching, thereby limiting material combinations. This inquiry proposes to overcome these constraints through the use of non-epitaxial interfaces of 2D van der Waals materials and 3D oxide thin films.
Distinct attributes of this approach include leveraging the flexibility of 2D ferroics for effortless transfer onto any substrate, negating lattice matching requirements, and investigating new categories of interfacial magnetoelectric phenomena detached from traditional thin-film synthesis restrictions.
Initiated in 2018, the Moore Foundation’s EPI Initiative fosters collaborative research environments and offers research assistance to foster the discovery of new concepts and underline community building.
“We have witnessed numerous new connections forged and innovative research paths pursued by both individuals and teams arising from discussions at these gatherings,” affirms Catherine Mader, program officer for the initiative.
The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation was established to generate positive outcomes for forthcoming generations. In alignment with that vision, it promotes scientific exploration, environmental conservation, and the unique character of the San Francisco Bay Area.
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