Jak Chakhalian

Prof. Jak Chakhalian is the Claud Lovelace Endowed Professor of Physics at Rutgers University, specializing in condensed matter experiment. His research focuses on epitaxial thin films and heterostructures using advanced molecular beam epitaxy techniques. He investigates quantum materials such as Weyl semimetals, pyrochlore iridates, and frustrated magnetic systems to uncover emergent phenomena like topological order, electronic nematicity, and chiral spin liquids.

His experimental setup includes a High-Vacuum laser Molecular Beam Epitaxy (laser MBE) system with ultra-violet laser ablation and HP RHEED monitoring for atomic-scale control. Key projects involve engineering interfaces to stabilize novel phases, such as room-temperature polar metals and artificial superlattices with tailored electronic properties.

• Education: Not explicitly stated in text.
• Research Focus: Atomic-scale synthesis of quantum materials, topological phases, interfacial magnetism, and electronic correlations.
• Grants/Advising: Details not provided in text.

Notable achievements include the creation of a room-temperature two-dimensional polar metal in superlattices and the discovery of anomalous transport phenomena in antiferromagnetic topological materials. His group actively explores geometric lattice design to induce quantum spin liquid states and study ultrafast electronic/magnetic dynamics using terahertz spectroscopy.

Lab affiliations include the Rutgers Condensed Matter Experiment Group, with collaborations focused on synchrotron-based characterization techniques.