Ivan K. Schuller

Prof. Ivan K. Schuller is a Physics Professor at the University of California, San Diego, leading the Calit2 Institute's Materials and Devices division and directing the AFOSR-MURI on Integrated Nanosensors. He holds a Licenciado from the University of Chile, M.S. and Ph.D. from Northwestern University, and has been at UCSD since 1987. His research focuses on novel magnetic devices, superlattices, nanostructured magnetism, and phase transitions in materials like VO₂ and V₂O₃. He pioneered studies on metallic superlattices, heterostructures, and nanostructured materials, exploring connections between structure and properties (e.g., electrical transport, magnetism, superconductivity).

Research Highlights

• Developing phase-change materials for neuromorphic computing and thermal management
• Advancing understanding of metal-insulator transitions in vanadium oxides
• Investigating spintronics in correlated electron systems
• Pioneering optical and electrical characterization techniques for nanomaterials

Awards & Honors

• DOE Outstanding Scientific Accomplishment (1987)
• APS Wheatley Award (1999)
• Alexander von Humboldt Prize (2000)
• APS Adler Award (2003)
• MRS Medal (2003)

Grants & Leadership

Director of AFOSR-MURI on Integrated Nanosensors at UCSD. Previously a Senior Physicist and Group Leader at Argonne National Laboratory. Leads interdisciplinary projects merging materials science with neuromorphic computing and thermal engineering.

Labs & Collaborations

Thin Film Group at UCSD Physics Department. Collaborations with institutions globally, including Leuven Catholic University and Aachen Technical University.