Overview

The Lederman group in the Physics Department at the University of California, Santa Cruz seeks to understand the fundamental properties of materials in reduced dimensions. Of particular interest are properties resulting from interfaces between dissimilar materials (e.g., magnetic, ferroelectric, multiferroic, and biological materials). In many cases, the electronic interface interactions in these nanoscale materials are expected to be the basis of future electronic devices. Many of the research projects are collaborative and interdisciplinary in nature. We are part of the Function Accelerated nanoMaterial Engineering (FAME) center funded by SRC/DARPA and also receive funding from the National Science Foundation. We are also affiliated with the new Materials Science & Engineering Initiative at UCSC, focusing on materials discovery and their device integration in sustainable technologies.