Nanostructured electronic systems

Superconducting Qubits Graphene Charge and spin transport properties Molecular transistors

Statistical physics and condensed matter

Domain walls Superconducting vortices Stochastic thermodynamics Earthquakes and friction Glassy systems Different aspects of condensed matter physics are tackled using statistical physics tools. We are interested in static and dynamical properties of domain walls in ferromagnetic and ferroelectric materials, pattern formation in thin magnetic systems, solid friction and fracture dynamics, vortex dynamics in high temperature superconductors and the theory of structural, spin and electron glasses. Our research ranges from the stochastic thermodynamics of small systems to earthquakes modelling.

Devices and applications

Non Volatile Resistive memories Motivated by its potential technological application in post-silicon electronic memory devices, the resistance switching effect (RS) in transition metal oxides (TMO) is attracting a great deal of attention. This effect is a reversible and nonvolatile change in the resistance of a metal-TMO-metal cell, after the application of electrical (voltage or current) pulses. It has been observed in a plethora of systems, ranging from cells containing simple to complex oxides, though each one showing specific characteristics. However the physical origin of the RS effect remains elusive. The goals of the present research project are: •To understand the physical mechanisms behind the RS effect, both in simple and complex oxides- based memory cells. •To engineering relevant device parameters in an effort to enhance the performance of the memory cell, switching speed and endurance. •To analyse and understand the response of the memory cells to aggressive environments (pression and irradiation) , high temperatures, etc. This line involves theoretical research in collaboration with experimental groups. Semiconducting devices This research line pursues advances in the understanding, theoretical modeling and design of semiconductor devices of technological interest as quantum cascade lasers. It involves a close cooperation with experimentalists working in the soon to be installed molecular beam epitaxy facilities at the Centro Atómico Bariloche.

Realistic modeling of materials

Computational material science: ab-initio methods (DFT), Graphical interface calculations (GPGPU), dynamical mean field theory (DMFT), numerical renormalization (NRG, DMRG) Electronic and magnetic structure of strongly correlated electron systems. Design of exchange and correlaction functionals. Disorder effects.

Our group interacts actively with experimental groups of the Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica in particular of the Centro Atómico Bariloche, collaborating with them in the interpretation of experiments and performing calculations directly aimed to explain the experimental results.