Event
MSE Seminar: Dr. Satya Kushwaha, JHU
Wednesday, April 1, 2026
3:30 p.m.
Room 2110 Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Building
Sherri Tatum
301-405-5240
statum12@umd.edu
"Exploring Quantum Materials Through Growth and Characterization"
Abstract: Crystalline materials have long driven technological revolutions; for example, zone-refined ultrapure crystals enabled the development of transistor and modern microelectronics. Controlling defects in crystals remain central to unlocking the full potential of functional materials, whether for achieving optimal doping in laser crystals or stabilizing color centers for quantum applications. More recently, the emergence of high-quality crystalline materials with multifunctional properties – arising from strong electron correlation and topological band structures – has opened new frontiers in materials research. Topological materials, in particular, host symmetry-protected electronic states and exhibit unusual transport phenomena such as the quantum spin Hall effect, linear magnetoresistance, and signatures of the chiral anomaly [1].
In this talk, I will highlight our efforts in the growth and characterization of high-quality topological materials, emphasizing how crystal purity, stoichiometry control, and defect engineering enable the observation of intrinsic quantum phenomena. I will first present the development and study of a high-quality topological insulator & semimetal crystals [2], demonstrating how careful synthesis reveals its protected surface states and unconventional transport behavior. I will then discuss recent work on a correlated topological metal, focusing on its ground state, and response to strong magnetic fields [3]. Finally, I will touch upon our current efforts in the growth of metal carbides [4], ultra-high temperature ceramics that are emerging as candidate topological superconductors.
[1] Jun Xiong, Satya Kushwaha, et al., Science 350, 413 (2015).
[2] Satya Kushwaha, Ivo Pletikosić, et al., Nature Commun. 7, 11456 (2016).
[3] Satya Kushwaha, Mun Chan, et al., Nature Commun. 10, 5487 (2019).
[4] Evan, et. al., Submitted to Crystal Growth & Design (2026).
Bio: Dr. Satya Kushwaha is an Associate Research Scientist at the Department of Chemistry at Johns Hopkins University and the Associate Director of the PARADIM Bulk Materials Discovery Facility. He obtained his Ph.D. from the Department of Physics & Astrophysics, University of Delhi, and the National Physical Laboratory. He was a postdoc in Prof. Cava's group at Princeton University and a LDRD Postdoctoral Fellow at Los Alamos National Laboratory, before joining JHU.
