NV microscopy of thermally controlled stresses caused by thin CrO films.

Many modern applications, including quantum computing and quantum sensing, use substrate-film interfaces. Particularly, thin films of chromium or titanium and their oxides are commonly used to bind various structures, such as resonators, masks, or microwave antennas, to a diamond surface. Due to different thermal expansions of involved materials, such films and structures could produce significant stresses, which need to be measured or predicted.

Origin of Chemically Ordered Atomic Laminates ( i-MAX): Expanding the Elemental Space by a Theoretical/Experimental Approach.

With increased chemical diversity and structural complexity comes the opportunities for innovative materials possessing advantageous properties. Herein, we combine predictive first-principles calculations with experimental synthesis, to explore the origin of formation of the atomically laminated i-MAX phases. By probing (Mo M) AC (where M = Sc, Y and A = Al, Ga, In, Si, Ge, In), we predict seven stable i-MAX phases, five of which should have a retained stability at high temperatures.

Large uniaxial magnetostriction with sign inversion at the first order phase transition in the nanolaminated MnGaC MAX phase.

In 2013, a new class of inherently nanolaminated magnetic materials, the so called magnetic MAX phases, was discovered. Following predictive material stability calculations, the hexagonal MnGaC compound was synthesized as hetero-epitaxial films containing Mn as the exclusive M-element. Recent theoretical and experimental studies suggested a high magnetic ordering temperature and non-collinear antiferromagnetic (AFM) spin states as a result of competitive ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic exchange interactions.